Connection of graphics and architecture

Tomáš Martin graphic designer, art director, co-founder of the creative studio Walldesign (2007)

Martin Vomastek architect, co-founder of the architectural studio Labor 13 (2007)

Walldesign. What should we actually imagine by this term?
TM: Very generally speaking, it is graphic design applied to the interiors of commercial and public spaces.
MV: I understand walldesign in two directions. One is purely decorative and the other is a functional matter. Decoration can be large-scale graphics emphasizing the graphic identity of the company, or just a color solution that the person or company likes. The functional direction, which is often more fundamental for me, primarily represents the information system of the building that fulfills the orientation or other functional purpose. I think the possibilities of use are very broad, and it only depends on the creators' imagination how they approach the task.

Why is the orientation system more crucial for you?
MV: Just yesterday, I was wandering in the recently completed public building, where the orientation system simply did not work. People kept getting lost and looking for where things were. And of course, this greatly influences the overall impression of the building. Which is a shame, because the architecture itself can be very well done.
TM: Many companies underestimate the shape of the orientation system. The execution is often not good, both from an aesthetic standpoint and in terms of its application. And yet, you can build a comprehensive graphic identity of the entire interior on the orientation system. It's enough to address it in collaboration with architects in time.

What benefits does walldesign have for the architect?
MV: Architects usually collaborate with various professions, but especially collaboration with artists and graphic designers is always very stimulating for the overall result. Artists and graphic designers can bring another creative layer to the project and enhance the original architectural design with additional quality.

How much does the graphic identity of individual companies influence the final interior design?
MV: When designing commercial buildings and office interiors, we often build on the graphic principles of individual companies, and the collaboration with Tomáš helps us move things in the right direction.
TM: I approach it by saying that adhering to the corporate visual identity is mainly a matter of marketing and that graphics in the interior is a completely different discipline that should go hand in hand with the vision of the architect. So I always try not to slavishly copy the graphic manuals of individual companies but rather to get inspired by them, to familiarize myself with the company's visions, values, interests, tone, atmosphere, etc., and transform all of that into something original that will work well with the space and with the people in it.

What do you envision as ideal collaboration?
TM: I am approached for projects either by an architectural office or directly by the investor. In both cases, I always try to work closely with the architects. The optimal situation is when the collaboration begins in the study phase and there is sufficient space to mutually consult and adjust the graphic designs so that the graphics fulfill the architect's vision. I enjoy how, in this phase, both architectural and graphic designs go through mutual influence and inspiration.
Collaboration directly with the investor without the architect's involvement is typical for situations where the investor/tenant needs to disrupt the sterility of the office space and cannot or does not want to address this challenge through significant construction interventions or new furnishings.

Can you provide a specific example of such ideal collaboration?
MV: Regarding transferring the corporate spirit and values into the interior, I can mention, for example, the interior of the IT company's offices eMan in Holešovice. There, we covered the corridors and main spaces, such as meeting rooms, reception, etc., with large-format graphics with light references to corporate culture. We put these things together with Tomáš and the investor, who had interesting suggestions.
TM: We collaborated from the very beginning, everything went well, and we were all satisfied with the result. And ultimately, the graphic concept of the interior became an inspiration and basis for creating a new corporate identity and graphic manual, which I then worked on with the investor for many months. So the exact opposite of typical procedures.

And an example of non-office spaces?
MV: The Ronald McDonald House at Motol Hospital.
TM: Which is actually a facility for accommodating parents of long-term ill children hospitalized in Motol.
MV: First of all, we needed an orientation system that would be understandable even for young children…
TM: And then there was a desire to somehow lighten the space and give it positive energy. Because the residents of this house often go through a difficult time.

That sounds like a big challenge. Could you tell us more about this project?
TM: It certainly was. One approached this project with greater humility. We wanted the graphics in the interior to be decently fun for the children while not coming across as overly childish or ostentatiously humorous.
MV: After a joint discussion, Tomáš came up with the concept of Czech sayings, which were represented graphically on the walls of public spaces such as the reception, dining room, or children's corner. Everywhere, children can guess what the individual motifs mean.
TM: In the same graphic style, the doors to individual rooms were also marked so that even young children would know which room is theirs and how to get to it.

What do you enjoy most about walldesign?
MV: An interesting part of walldesign is the realization itself. It doesn’t always have to be wall painting, but it can take other forms, such as three-dimensional reliefs or objects in space. It’s just about the well-chosen idea, which will resonate with the architect's original visions and provide some additional dimension.
TM: I enjoy that with every project, I discover new challenges, approaches, and choose new materials. No project is the same, and the boundaries of using graphics are not defined. This opens up possibilities and overlaps into other areas. It could be the emergence of a new visual identity for a company or, for example, the design of an artwork installation that would be suspended from the ceiling of the Ibis hotel.

Can graphic design in architecture respond to modern trends and technologies?
TM: Definitely. Right now, I'm working on two projects where there is a desire to shift static graphic design into an interactive and dynamic version. This is achieved using data projectors or primitive animation principles. One of these projects is the reconstructed Palác Dunaj on Národní třída in Prague, where we are addressing both the overall graphic identity and the information system at the same time.


And what about graphics on the facade?
MV: Yes, it is another opportunity to utilize walldesign. The identification of the company on the facade will probably be mainly interesting for the investor.
TM: I would be very cautious with graphics there, because unless we are talking about some street art, doing some complex graphics is quite tricky and one should handle it in such a way that it does not just become a canvas.
MV: That's right; it then smells a little like a crutch, that when the architecture doesn’t work, I’ll simply give it some facade.
TM: But I can imagine a line or other simple graphic elements that highlight certain shapes of the building or support its architecture. However, it should definitely not be a battle between the architecture and the graphics in terms of which is more prominent.
MV: Agreed, I always think that walldesign should be in symbiosis with architecture and should complement it, not overpower it.