Gleebooks have been a much-loved icon of the Sydney literary community of Sydney for close to 50 years, with their flagship shop at 49 Glebe Point Road for over 30.
Architects Nicholas + Associates were engaged for a major refurbishment to the existing terrace - extending the bookshop and event space, designing a dedicated area for Gleebooks Kids, and establishing a light-filled mezzanine for the new Gleebooks Cafe.
The wayfinding strategy & design brief was to integrate with the new architecture & increase awareness of the new spaces, while acknowledging the legacy of the brand & community’s strong relationship with the original shop.
MAAT used the iconic green of the brand to create the signage system, curved edges responding to the shopfront awning, & geometry of the new architectural work.
An LED neon logo floats in the shopfront window; the deep channel surround containing & amplifying the green light. Illuminated for legibility along the busy street, it also functions as a backdrop for visiting author photos.
Internally, suspended signage folds over timber rods, the visually light edges repeated in folded metal section markers throughout the shelves. The playful directional signage in the stair is a superscale reference to an original directional hand graphic.
