Whitney Museum of American Art

Enhancing Experience Through Design

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Whitney Museum of American Art

Architectural Harmony and Functional Design

The Whitney Museum of American Art, designed by Renzo Piano with Cooper Robertson, stands as a beacon of modern and contemporary American art in New York City's Meatpacking District and West Village neighborhoods. Entro was engaged to develop the museum’s identity, signage, wayfinding, donor recognition program, and digital display system across its nine floors and 220,000 square feet of space. Our approach was to extend the Whitney Museum’s brand throughout the museum in subtle, identifiable ways that complement the architecture and the art collections, ensuring that the environment remains simple, elegant, and timeless. Utilizing the Whitney’s “Responsive W,” we crafted a flexible typographic grid derived from the museum’s logo, shaping wayfinding graphics that blend modern aesthetics with timeless elegance.
  • Client

    Whitney Museum of American Art

  • Location

    New York, New York

  • Sector

    Cultural

  • Discipline

    Wayfinding, Donor Recognition, Digital, Placemaking

  • Architect

    Renzo Piano

  • Photography

    Jason Dziver

  • Awards

    Graphis Design Annual Gold Red Dot Communication Design Advertising & Design Club of Canada Directions SEGD Global Design Merit Applied Arts Award Communication Arts Award of Excellence Transform North America Gold

Whitney Museum white, minimalist gallery space, with minimalist wayfinding signage applied directly to white wall.

A Palette of Monochrome

In keeping with the museum’s focus on contemporary visuals, we selected a monochromatic color palette based on black, grey, and white. This choice not only reinforces the modernist appeal but also ensures that the wayfinding and informational graphics do not overshadow the artworks. Our designs include ‘flexible’ directional arrows inspired by the museum’s logo, serving as a navigational aid while integrating seamlessly into various backdrops—whether vinyl on concrete, screened graphics on drywall, or dimensional letters for donor names.

Innovative Application

Special consideration was given to the material and application techniques to enhance durability and maintain aesthetic integrity across diverse surfaces. For example, silver vinyl on glass was utilized for the primary donor wall, offering a subtle yet distinguished acknowledgment of support.

Minimal 'Studio Cafe' sign in vinyl, adhered to a wall outside the Whitney's studio cafe.
Whitney Museum minimal directional signage adhered to wall of white gallery. Painting appears in the background.
Our solution was functionally effective but subdued enough not to compete with the art, keeping the museum environment simple, elegant, and timeless.

User-Centered Design

Every aspect of our work aimed at improving the visitor experience, making navigation intuitive while honoring the architectural and artistic essence of the Whitney Museum. From the choice of materials to the design of custom icons and signage, our goal was to create an environment that is not only easy to navigate but also enriches a visitor’s engagement with the art.

Whitney Museum of American Art, exterior Identification sign, dimensional letters mounted to the building, tone on tone.

Visit the Whitney to experience 21,000 works of art, including paintings, sculptures, photos, film, and new media.

Find out more about the Whitney Museum of American Art.

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