Corporate Branding Metal Mesh System

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Urban Outfitters

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System: MeshFX
Attachment Method: Tableau®
Metal Fabric Pattern: Ridge

Project: Urban Outfitters
Location: Chicago, IL
Architect: Pompei, A.D.-New York, NY
Facility Owner: Urban Outfitters
Facility End Use: Retail
Completion Date: March 2006
Renovation or New Construction: Renovation

Project Details: Cambridge Architectural, America’s leading manufacturer of architectural mesh systems and building tension systems or tensile structures made of metal, recently constructed a MeshFX system for an Urban Outfitters storefront in downtown Chicago, IL. Each Urban Outfitters store is designed to match the earthy, antique vibe of the company’s merchandise.

No two stores are alike – inside or out – and the company does not rely on traditional retail marketing tactics to spread their name. That is why corporate branding elements that deliver quick visual clues to brand identity, like that provided by Cambridge Architectural, are so important.

Perfectly distressed furniture, trodden plank wood floors and aged, painted chandeliers slung from the ceiling give each store a familiar, comforting feeling. The merchandise – men’s and women’s clothing, eccentric gifts and fitting home décor – is geared toward urban-oriented college students and young professionals.

Urban Outfitters usually chooses unique historic buildings for its stores, and the charming old building on State Street that houses the company’s new store in downtown Chicago has just that charm. A Cambridge Architectural MeshFX system was installed vertically as a backdrop for the storefront’s Urban Outfitters signage.

Cambridge Architectural woven metal fabric in the Ridge pattern was wrapped around Tableau attachment hardware to create the 24 panels that support the store’s sign. The average panel size is 5’ wide by 10.5’ high. MeshFX systems provide unique opportunities for displaying elements of corporate branding. Corporate signage can be attached to these systems. Logos can be laser etched or sandblasted directly onto metal fabric. Custom metal fabric patterns featuring corporate colors or other exotic metals are also available.

Lighting effects or branding imagery can also be projected onto the surface of metal fabric patterns with a unique and highly desirable result. “Today, mesh systems appear much more frequently on retail and other commercial buildings because of the new and unique aesthetics they provide,” explains David Merriman, Cambridge’s director of business development and marketing. “This allows architects to experiment with these systems to create interesting building facades at an affordable price."

Pompei A.D., New York, NY, has designed this and 61 other multi-level “retail environments” for Urban Outfitters, Inc. in North America and Western Europe. Tri-North Builders, Madison, WI, served as the project’s general contractor.

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