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La Casa Encendida

A cultural center in Madrid, it features dynamic programming spanning art, film, music, and community workshops that make it more than an exhibition space: a gathering place embraced by residents of all ages, backgrounds, and interests.

Client: Fundación Montemadrid

Location: Madrid

Year: 2018

Services: Signage & Wayfinding

Signage & Wayfinding

Designed for accessibility, and everyone

The original signage was a bright green that overwhelmed the space and experience. Our first instinct was to restore the space's architectural character.

Circulation Flow Diagrams

La Casa Encendida draws a diverse public, and mapping how those audiences move through the building gave the wayfinding system a foundation in real behavior rather than assumption.

PICTOGRAMS: A diverse set of pictograms were designed that reflected all the various activities possible internally.
TYPOGRAPHY: Suisse Intl. was modified by opening up the counters and apertures in select letters, such as the a, e, and s, to improve legibility and visual clarity at smaller sizes.
ACCESSIBILITY: To increase visibility on room plaques, we added a high contrast border so that they would be visible to everyone.

Every design detail was tuned for accessibility, surpassing local code requirements to create a more inclusive experience for all visitors.

Hallways

Flexible Room Plaques

Gotelé

Rail System

Many of the building's interior walls feature Gotelé, a textured, bumpy finish. Combined with the constant repainting required by rotating exhibitions, this led us to rethink the wall-mounted signage. We designed a rail system that's easy to remove, rather than painted around.

CLICK TO ACTIVATE: Directory Rail System

Elevator Lobby

Stair Level ID

Floor Directory

Entrance to Cafe

Impact

La Casa Encendida earned certification under the UNE 170001 Universal Accessibility standard, a reflection of the wayfinding system's role in creating a genuinely inclusive experience across the entire center. The project set a new benchmark for accessible cultural spaces in Madrid, ensuring equal access for every visitor, regardless of ability.

Design Process

Visual appendix

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Entrance