Montréal Signs Project

 


Then

Montréal-Mirabel International Airport (installed 1975)


Now

CJ 1st/2nd Floor Stairwell


Added to the MSP collection

Acquired Nov 2014, installed Sept 2018


Special thanks to

Aéroports de Montréal

Mirabel Airport Panel

A long well-lit corridor with multiple bright yellow signs hanging from the ceiling

This is one of the very few wayfinding signs salvaged from the airport terminal prior to its demolition in 2016. (The MSP has four signs in total: this panel, the two Solari splitflap displays, and a big illuminated cube from the baggage claim area.) Typical of this era of signage, it features upper- and lowercase Helvetica Bold in black on a vivid yellow ground, with associated pictograms. Unfortunately the type has been positioned somewhat carelessly, and, while the first pictogram (a directional arrow) is cut into the sign for backlighting, the second pictogram seems to have been an afterthought. It’s misaligned, a slightly different size, and is seemingly drawn with a rather different aesthetic in mind. (Our photographic survey of all the wayfinding and informational signage in the terminal showed some good intentions in terms of a coherent, uniform design standard, but many of the signs are haphazard at best, with very noticeable variations in grid, type, colour, positioning, type placement, materials, and so on.)