The Roland Garros Airport is located in Reunion, an island and region of France in the Indian Ocean. Following a rebranding initiative that resulted in a new identity for the airport, the strategy and task at hand is to extend the brand application to the full passenger experience. This includes a new façade and full architectural upgrade of the interior, by architecture firms Alliiance, Murielle Plas and L’Atelier. Entro was brought on to develop the wayfinding plan and redesign of all interior and exterior signage to support this upgrade.
We are currently in the process of creating a signage guideline manual and applying this design to the new architectural layout. As the local language of Creole is only phonetic and cannot be written, we are using a French-primary and English-secondary system. A subtle application of the palm leaf from Roland Garros’ visual identity is used throughout some of the signage as background imaging. Following a similar palette to the architectural theme, our system is based on materials and colours local to Reunion – with rich browns indicating the different wood types of the area, and darker black shades representing the volcanic rock, as Reunion Island is an active volcano.
An important consideration in creating these guidelines was the island’s unique and severe weather patterns. At least two large hurricanes occur every year in Reunion, and the island also receives extremely strong sunlight. As such, materials recommendations ensure resistance to the wear and tear of these environmental conditions, paying specific attention to how sign attachments can withstand high wind loads.
Our work is scheduled for completion in July, when the airport will begin its next phase of updates to communicate its new brand and improved passenger experience.
(Images provided by Alliiance)