Project Name: Mixed-Use Wayfinding Strategy for City Walk
Client: City Walk
Sector: Other (Mixed-use development)
Location: Dubai (UEA)
The role: Endpoint created wayfinding strategy and design.
The brief: City Walk is a large mixed-use urban development, built in phases since 2013, by Meraas, one of Dubai’s leading property developers. The area houses high-end retail, food and drink, entertainment spaces, venues, a luxury hospital and branded boutique hotels, all alongside prime residential space, making this a unique and vibrant urban living destination in Dubai.
The gradual opening of City Walk districts during its five-year construction meant that the public were referring to different areas of the development by their construction phase names.
The brief of this project was twofold: to bring Meraas’ new destination based brand identity to life within City Walk; and at the same time implement a wayfinding strategy to create a single, unified visitor experience across the whole development, strengthening the sense of place for residents also with the aim of making City Walk the leading ‘city-within-a-city’ destination in Dubai.
Outcome: Endpoint immersed themselves in the environment and held stakeholder workshops to discover the key issues and pain points facing residents, visitors and operators. While the client’s main design challenge was to connect the urban lifestyle with the new brand colour, typography and iconography, Endpoint soon discovered that navigation of the basement parking area was a top priority for users.
Endpoint created a branded wayfinding sign family and introduced a colour-coded design solution that adhered to the unique character of the development and the new Maraas brand identity.
Linking the parking areas vertically to key destinations and anchor tenants solved the parking issues, making visitors feel more comfortable and confident to explore the wider reaches of City Walk. This has significantly increased footfall in previously low footfall areas and has also seen a decrease in visitor and tenant complaints.
City Walk has become one of Dubai’s most vibrant and colourful destinations by combining high-end retailers, restaurants, hotels, residences and wellness centres. With all these amenities within walking distance for its residents, City Walk has also become a model for a new urban lifestyle community.
More images of Endpoint’s City Walk project.
Case Study Submitted by Endpoint, Tiffany Lewis, Marketing Manager (tiffany.lewis@weareendpoint.com).
