‘Bold, colourful and full of movement’ Campus Totems is featured in WORKS Magazine issue #17.

In The Works magazine (Issue #17), Mike Jordan explored the bold, colourful, and ever-changing wayfinding at Manchester’s Exchange Quay, highlighting how functional signage can be transformed into vibrant, sculptural art. The feature showcases the environmental branding scheme led by designer Nathalie Kenning on the project’s art direction and colour strategy.

For decades, the mirrored towers of Exchange Quay have reflected the city’s dynamic skyline and its diverse businesses. The redesign transformed the former monochromatic orange totems into a spectrum of interconnected colours, angles, and light, creating a playful, ever-changing experience that responds to perspective, movement, and time of day.

Nathalie led the creative vision, treating each totem as a context-specific branding exercise. “Each totem reflects the internal character of its building while maintaining a collective identity across the campus,” she explained. Her innovative approach ensured the totems are both functional and visually engaging, turning signage into an artful journey through the campus.

Jasper Sanders emphasised the broader place-making ambition, linking the seven landmark buildings to the landscaped gardens and fostering a dynamic sense of connection across Exchange Quay. Beyond wayfinding, the redesign extended to external podium areas, repurposing former smoking shelters into social and meeting spaces, reinforcing the campus as a place for work, community, and reflection.

Sustainability was also central: painting each totem face individually allows precise, low-impact upkeep, keeping the installation fresh and responsive. The Works praised the project for blending science and art, creating a visually distinctive and joyful experience – one that reflects the energy of Exchange Quay and the thoughtful, art-directed vision of the studio.

Read the full article in WORKS Magazine