BAF Graphics has successfully completed the visual communication project for the BBC’s new offices at MediaCityUK, Salford Quays, which started in March last year. The project was directed by BAF’s Chris Holland, who also headed up a resident installation team in Salford Quays from March to June ’11.
Working together with fit-out specialist Overbury and designer ID:SR, BAF has developed and installed all interior graphics required for the brand new premises. Ranging over the BBC’s three buildings (Bridge House, Dock House and Quay House), the interior graphics incorporate both wall and glass panelling areas.
A range of ‘best-in-class’ high quality substrates were chosen for the job following a stringent selection process. These include Digimura Smooth - a commercial grade wallcovering, cut vinyls and optically clear films for wall and glass panelling.
During the course of the project, the installation team surveyed over 800 wall surfaces, many of which incorporated metal riser doors which had to be carefully disguised behind the wallcoverings, while still enabling their continued access. The result is a series of large expanses of uninterrupted designs which don’t impair the buildings functionality. All wallcoverings were hung by the BAF installation team using a wet decorators adhesive, with an overlap and trim join to create a perfectly seamless finish.
BAF worked in conjunction with ID:SR’s design concepts and the BBC to produce artworks for every elevation to guarantee a high degree of accuracy in production and installation and deliver a good representation of the BBC’s content . These high standards were maintained throughout the project in order to ensure each floor was completed to tight deadlines as they were handed back to the BBC for occupation.
One key element of the project was an extensive graphic treatment of windows and glass surfaces within offices, meeting and facilities rooms. A combination of digitally printed optically clear film and a wide range of intricate cut vinyl designs were adopted to continue many of the chosen design themes.
These themes, designed by ID:SR and implemented by BAF, include ‘Cityscenes’, used on walls on each floor of Quay House, while the ‘Manchester and Salford Maps’ decorates the walls of Bridge House. One intriguing application is the ‘History Wall’, a design made up of a background of abstract black and white images of BBC celebrities from shows over the years, with a foreground of coloured images of today’s celebrities. In addition there is a ‘Words Wall’, a design made up of words and expressions from iconic BBC shows in different fonts, scales, and colours, and various other design themes including a ‘Film and Textile Wall’.
“We were extremely pleased to work with one of the most important broadcasting and media companies in the world. The interior decoration of the new BBC premises is one of the largest digitally printed interior projects undertaken in the UK,” comments Antony Baglioni, Business Development Director at BAF Graphics. “Matching outstanding quality graphics with time critical requirements was a big but stimulating challenge. We are proud to have delivered a fully integrated project encompassing the decoration of different surfaces, all brought together as a result of excellent design in combination with our printing, installation and project management expertise.”
