In harmony with the sweeping curve of the street and building, the digital elements of the proposed signage merge to define the architectural concept.

Billboard Design

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The Harper Project features a remarkable digital billboard display wrapping around the highly visible southeast corner of Sunset Boulevard and Harper Avenue. The unique curved digital display, along with 2 existing static signs to be relocated on site, will merge with the distinctive design of the overall project into a cohesive landmark that announces the new Eastern Gateway to West Hollywood.

The project also features a prominent “Welcome To WeHo” display that wraps around the northeast corner of the building.

The digital billboard element features 1,000 square feet of programmable advertising copy that fully satisfies and complies with the City’s LED and brightness standards and will be tested and supervised to ensure the signage does not impact traffic or neighbors. This highly efficient technology will be, in part, powered by an array of solar panels. 

Through uncommon use of transparency and separation, the digital display is both functional and innovative. With sensitivity to the surrounding community, light and media will be engineered to avoid glare and negative impacts and programmed to enhance the entire façade as a cohesive whole.

The balcony edges and curtainwall mullions of the Harper Project serve as grid lines that subtly connect the design of the signage to the material and proportions of the building. Architecturally integrated media walls at the ground floor level are visible from the building exterior and draw pedestrian traffic into the sunken courtyard and towards the building’s main entrance.  The ground floor art mural wall will create an opportunity for ongoing curation of culturally relevant artwork and promote enhanced public engagement of the space.

The sign permit application is a crucial element of the Harper Project and seeks approval of the following signs which will promote the project’s success and emphasize the site as a crucial gateway into the Sunset Strip and the City of West Hollywood:

  1. Iconic Wrap Around Digital Sign on the corner of Sunset and Harper;
  2. Replacement 2-Sided Horizontal Billboard on rooftop of East Building;
  3. Replacement 2-Sided Vertical Billboard Between East and Central Buildings; and
  4. “Welcome” to WeHo Sign on top of East Building.

In 2020, the City of West Hollywood issued its Sunset Arts & Advertising Program – which was the culmination of a groundbreaking effort to reimagine Sunset Boulevard as one of the world’s premier locations for outdoor advertising (Link to WEHO doc).  After a competitive vetting process, the Harper Project’s sign proposal was selected for a concept award out of 43 applicant projects, scoring second in the “New Development” category and third overall.

 

Design Excellence

New digital gateway at the East end of the Sunset Strip helps to animate a much needed street level activity with the building’s open pedestrian cafe level. Innovative transparent digital panel design with architectural gaps and vertical shifts between modules. Display modules feather from the center out in an inverse relationship, blurring the line between panel, lighting and building. Playful geometry and sweeping curvature of the display opens up to the corner and creates unique opportunities for creative content and public art. Dedicated mural for ongoing art curation program within pedestrian courtyard.

Cohesive Design

The iconic digital display dances across the facade, mimicking the curtain wall panels behind as lighting fades in and out on each side. Existing signage is shifted off the street to create a more dynamic pedestrian engagement with the digital display. A “Welcome to WeHo” sign adorns the East corner announcing your entrance into the city. The digital display hangs like a veil above the project’s pedestrian courtyard and sidewalk cafes. 

Innovative Design

Vertical strips of transparent display create a unified content surface, while exposing module gaps as a design feature.

The multi-planar surface and feathered accent lighting navigate a sweeping curve and will highlight creative content approaches.

Accent lights extend up the building connecting the corner digital to the entire facade.

State of the art technology will be deployed: transparent LED blades with top bin CREE LEDs, high efficiency DC powerplant, Content Management System and sustainable building features.

Contextual & Compatible Design

The iconic corner display and public art mural are designed to draw street activity through the project’s open courtyard and cafes. The project will sponsor an ongoing public art curation program featuring the dedicated mural in the courtyard. An integrated design that acts as an Eastern gateway to the Sunset Strip with well balanced digital and architectural features to enhance the street. Technology systems will prioritize being good neighbors, dynamically reducing brightness based on astronomical clock and ensuring nighttime brightness levels are below standard 300 or 600 nit requirements.