Situated on the border of Edgecomb and Nash counties in North Carolina, Rocky Mount is a city at the center of it all. Spanning a 44-square mile area, Rocky Mount needed a new citywide wayfinding and signage system and a focus on directing people towards the new Event Center opening in October 2018.
With a rich history in cotton, tobacco, and rail transportation, we took inspiration from each of these industries with the design of the sign system. The Rocky Mount train stop identification served as inspiration for the header of the sign, while it was modernized for the signage. The posts for the signs are made from Corten steel used by several industries in the area. Over time, these will naturally rust and patina before stabilizing with an antique finish. The decorative brackets were inspired by the roof trusses at the train station and the Imperial Center for Arts & Science. On the back of the signs, the supportive upright posts are painted a bright yellow featured at the Imperial Center and at the cotton mills. The entire system was designed to pay homage to the history of the town while propelling it into the future with a dynamic, logical, and attractive wayfinding system.
