New signs add new architectural features to downtown Tampa’s skyline

Tampa, FL -- (SBWire) -- 12/17/2010 -- The David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts officially revealed its new name with bold new signage Monday evening provided by Creative Sign Designs, a national leader in architectural sign solutions. The Tampa-based sign company teamed up with architect John Toppe of Toppe Consultants, Inc. and Lorrin Shepard, senior vice president and chief operational officer of the Straz Center to consult, design, fabricate and install the custom signs.

“The new exterior signs not only make a bold new statement for the Straz Center, but add new architectural features in the downtown Tampa Skyline. To give you an idea of the magnitude of this project, it took 100 gallons of paint, 33,000 pounds (over 16 tons) of aluminum that end-to-end would reach a distance of 3 miles and enough LEDs to light up a one-mile stretch of road,” said Jamie Harden, president and CEO of Creative Sign Designs. “A team of very talented individuals devoted more than 20,000 hours to the project during the fabrication process in order to successfully meet the project’s completion date.”

Creative Sign Designs provided all custom business signs for the rebranding project, including four sets of illuminated channel letters and stars on two different elevations of the performing arts center, and a new, 16 mm full-color Daktronics LED message board mounted on the center’s covered pedestrian walkway.

“Our new exterior signage has really become a beacon for us. Our new name and our new look will change our downtown skyline forever. It will serve as a welcoming symbol for our growing cultural arts district and help us celebrate the arts in our wonderful community,” said Judith Lisi, president and CEO of the Straz Center.

Other organizations included in the cultural arts district are the Glazers Children’s Museum, Tampa Museum of Art and Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park. Creative Sign Designs provided the signage for all of these as well. The addition of the Straz Center signs completes the District.

Details of the Straz Center project include two sets of high-profile channel letters that are curved and built on a radius, with the furthest point extending over 5 feet from the southeast corner of the performing arts center. Each set has two curved frames measuring 30 inches tall by 50 feet long, an architectural feature allowing for enhanced visibility and dramatic effect. Mounted to the frames are standard channel letters reading “FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS” (15 inches tall) and “STRAZ CENTER” (5 feet tall), face lit with pan-formed acrylic faces and reverse lit and mounted on aluminum backer panels. Centered between both sets of curved channel letters are 3 prism-style formed face stars (10 feet, 8 feet, and 6 feet) illuminated with RGB LED’s, an impressive focal point for the center’s main entrance. Adjacent to the southeast corner of the facility stands a majestic 30 foot-tall, 7.5 foot-high Daktronics GalaxiPro series electronic message sign, capable of 1-6 separate videos at once.

The other two sets of company signs hang on the northwest corner of the Straz Center, overlooking I-4 and the Hillsborough River, and measure 12.5 feet high and 90 feet long. Flat-mounted flush against the building wall are standard channel letters reading “FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS” (24 inches tall) and “STRAZ CENTER” (7.5 feet tall), face lit with pan-formed acrylic faces and reverse lit and mounted on aluminum backer panels. Three prism-style formed face stars (16 feet, 13 feet, and 10 feet) illuminated with RGB LED’s, accompany the channel letters and compliment the smaller curved sets.

The Straz Center is the leading performing arts center in the southeastern United States, and is the third largest performing arts center in the nation.

About Creative Sign Designs:
Creative Sign Designs, with headquarters in Tampa, FL, specializes in turnkey architectural signage solutions. Creative Sign Designs provides consultation, design, fabrication, and installation services for a full line of interior and exterior sign products. As the leader in architectural sign solutions, Creative Sign Designs is capable of successfully managing local, regional, and national projects. For more information, visit http://www.CreativeSignDesigns.com or call 1-877-818-7180.