Ultimo Public School Pop Up Super Graphics

CLIENT
NSW Department of Education and TKDArchitects

CHALLENGE
The Ultimo Public School Pop-Up Super Graphics were commissioned by the NSW Department of Education. We were briefed to create exciting designs that the students would love and enjoy for the two years while their new permanent school was being built.

SOLUTION
We produced a series of large-scale graphics and wayfinding designs for the Ultimo Pop Up School.

The Ultimo Pop-Up School was recently recognised at the Australian Institute of Project Management Awards, with a High Commendation in the Small Projects category.

Designed by TKDArchitects, this custom-built school was decorated with super-graphics that covered the walls of the demountable buildings and some interior surfaces including walkways and signposts.

To begin the design process, we held fun group sessions with some of the children from the school. We wanted to find out what inspired them, what they loved, where they wanted to go and be when they grew up and, of course, how they’d like their school decorated. Their input helped us develop four different concepts.

Much like the ‘show & tell’ sessions that kids have at school, we did our very own show & tell to present our concepts to the kids.  We then asked them to ‘mark’ our work. They put gold stickers on their favourite, silver stickers on their second and bronze on their third.

‘Pets on Holiday’ – our environmental graphic design treatment inspired by the children’s love for domestic animals and their worldwide travel aspirations and experiences  – received the most gold stickers by far. We then set out to bring the children’s dream of their favourite animals on holiday to life.

The final designs were created using mixed media. Photographs and original illustrations were combined to create a series of visually exciting, fun, imaginative and playful scenes – scenes to make the students smile. And they absolutely love the whole thing!

Credit: Tom Ferguson Photography