Good signs make good neighbours

Technopôle Angus, located in Montreal’s East End borough of Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie, is an avant-garde environment for businesses, workers and residents. Its industrial past as the Angus Shops left the district a unique, historical architectural legacy.

To enhance the visibility of Angus Technopôle’s non-street-facing businesses, LG2 created a unique visual identity and clear signage system that directs users to points of interest and encourages them to explore the district.

Designed to blend into the Technopôle Angus landscape, the visual identity reflects the surrounding nature and the district's industrial roots.

The Technopôle’s mission is to create a living environment that both fosters community and serves as a laboratory for sustainable development. The logo evokes these twin ideas with the image of a flower that can also be interpreted as people conversing. This main symbol, consisting of a circle and two quarter shapes, can be versioned into an array of icons with endless possibilities.

The complementary soft pastel palette catches the eye and the clean, easy-to-read typography ensures people can easily find their way around the site.

The variety of strategically located, modern structures fits with the spirit of Technopôle Angus. The thoughtful choice of materials evokes the district’s history while unusual structural details lend a distinct aesthetic character.

In its industrial heyday, aluminum was widely used at the Angus Shops. Not only is the metal an important local resource – nearly 90% of Canadian aluminum is produced in Quebec – its production has a smaller environmental impact.

The unexpected yet harmonious use of the patina green complements the rust and metal of the building’s industrial frame and contrasts with the typographic elements to give the information greater visibility.

The perforated circles in the structures recall the large rivets of the district’s industrial buildings and echo the logo’s shape. These apertures filter sunlight and surrounding light, creating a dynamic play of shadows throughout the day. All these elements work together in a continual dialogue between the surrounding neighbourhood and the signage. 

What’s more, the signage system is fully modular to align with Technopôle Angus’s sustainable development objectives and limit the use of material. 

The modern, modular approach allows for endless possibilities.

The Société de développement Angus (SDA) is a social economy company that has been helping to revitalize Montreal for the past 25 years. Its main priorities include communities, the environment and economic development. The organization has several well-known revitalization projects, including Technopôle Angus and Carré Saint-Laurent.