isGroup select Applelec's built-up illuminated letters for the multi-award winning cultural centre, Storyhouse

isGroup selected Applelec to create illuminated built-up letters for the new Storyhouse complex, situated in the heart of Chester's bustling city centre.

The pre-existing Odeon building was recently restored and repurposed to create a £37 million cultural centre, which houses a theatre, library and boutique cinema. The Grade II listed building underwent a massive overhaul to revitalise the premises, resulting in Storyhouse receiving a number of awards for its design, signage and architecture.

As part of the refurbishment project, isGroup appointed Applelec to manufacture three sets of letters for the structural signs for internal and external applications. Created from Applelec's built-up metal letter range, the signs featured illumination from SloanLED LED modules, to create modern branding that was sympathetic to Storyhouse's art deco design.

The external signage was installed at high-level, with the first set mounted to the rear of the building and the second on the Storyhouse tower block, over the main entrance. At 1000mm in height at their tallest, the letters were fitted with opal acrylic and were further enhanced with the integration of cool, white 6500K SloanLED modules in a combination of face lit and halo illumination, creating commanding focal points.

Andy Armitage Applelec's head of signage sales said: 'With Storyhouse located in the city centre, one of the challenges isGroup identified was to ensure lighting levels complied with regulatory standards, namely for the rear of the building. This was achieved by creating these letters with halo illumination as this effect produces far less light pollution but still delivers a crisp and intense glow.'

For design consistency, built-up metal letters along with 6500K SloanLED modules were used for the internal sign, which stood at 760mm in height and were mounted onto a hanging frame structure. To maximise the sign's impact, the letters were face lit to create bright illumination that projected from the suspended sign, achieving a striking entrance way.

Paul Dyke isGroup's sales director said: 'The letter design took influence from retro inspired fonts, which reflect the 1930s era of Storyhouse. Applelec was consulted during the design process to draw upon their expertise to deliver high-quality craftsmanship and products that helped us meet the requirements of the client.'

Photography: Peter Cook

Find out more about our built-up metal letters and SloanLED LED systems.