Hudson Valley Shakespeare: Environmental Signage Program

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Inspired by the Natural Landscape

Hudson Valley Shakespeare’s new permanent, year-round home — the Samuel H. Scripps Theater Center — is an 451-seat open-air theater that sits alongside a revitalized 98-acre property in the Hudson Valley.

Designed by Studio Gang, the open-air theater is a mass timber structure that frames the dazzling view of the Hudson River, known by the Lenape people as “The River that Runs Both Ways”, as it passes through “Wey-Gat,” the Wind Gate, with the mighty Storm King to the West and Breakneck Ridge to the East.

Upon our completion of Hudson Valley Shakespeare’s new brand system, which was a natural progression of our work since it drew inspiration from the new home and building itself, Flyleaf Creative partnered with Studio Gang in 2025 to design an environmental signage system for the outdoor campus and open-air theater. Both the brand and the signage program deeply connect to the landscape and uphold the site’s sustainable values. 

The new campus would bring together cultural placemaking, community engagement, and environmental sustainability onto one spectacular site. Studio Gang’s design remains open to the elements but elevates the overall theatrical experience for both actors and visitors through improved rehearsal, performance, and amenity spaces; expanded accessibility for more diverse audiences; and technical additions that open up new opportunities for HVS productions. 

Architecture and nature work together at HVS’s Scripps Theater Center to create a transformative new cultural destination for New York and the wider performing arts community. We were privileged to design signage whose role is to guide artists and guests along their journey of visitation.

SERVICES

  • Environmental signage program including signature sign, campus-wide vehicular & pedestrian wayfinding, donor signage, back-of-house, and code-required signage

CONSULTANTS

ADDITIONAL CASE STUDIES

Visit website

hvshakespeare

SERVICES

  • Environmental signage program including signature sign, campus-wide vehicular & pedestrian wayfinding, donor signage, back-of-house, and code-required signage

CONSULTANTS

ADDITIONAL CASE STUDIES

Sustainability is Key, Durability is Crucial

Targeting LEED v4 Platinum, sustainability throughout the entire process of designing and building the new Samuel H. Scripps Theater Center was key to honoring the land on which it is built. In many ways, our signage design is inspired by both the landscape and the architecture, incorporating materials that complement or pull from them.

Beyond the color palette designed for the brand as inspired by Hudson Valley nature and landscapes, materials explored for signage paid homage to features of the land itself. Signs use the primary brand color and black, inspired by the shou sugi ban finish of the theater. Pedestrian wayfinding signage are made from locally sourced timber. And in seeking out materials for durability and recyclable qualities, aluminum is used instead of plastic. 

The land acknowledgement and signature signs, the latter of which provides a photo opportunity as visitors get a first glimpse of the theater on foot, are created using boulders excavated onsite by the landscape architect.

Knowing that considerations also needed to be made for the outdoor nature of the campus, we selected durable materials and designs to withstand exposure to the elements throughout the year and over many years. Wooden posts include sloped surfaces to guide water runoff to the back of signs. Solar downlighting fixtures eliminate the need for concealed wiring, which could compromise the integrity of the wood over time. And to protect them from corrosion, powder-coated finish was applied to aluminum exterior signs.

Dark Sky, Bright Ideas

In order to meet Dark Sky lighting regulations while ensuring key wayfinding is visible after dark, we consulted with lighting experts to illuminate our wayfinding signage throughout the campus with solar downlight fixtures. Road signage is illuminated by concealed downlights, and retroreflective vinyl allows vehicular signage to be visible by car headlights.

Wayfinding for Drivers & Pedestrians

New roads and walkable pathways were built, and our signage needed to both welcome and orient visitors, identify the primary entrances to the campus, and establish Hudson Valley Shakespeare as the new operator of the site. It was exciting to see our new branding at work and at a significantly larger scale, as we extended our signage all the way out to the public road to help drivers know when to turn into the site and to promote Hudson Valley Shakespeare to drivers passing by. 

In replacing a temporary tent with the new Theater Center, traffic flows on site were changing, and our signage needed to offer wayfinding for drivers that was intuitive and unmissable, directing vehicles towards the appropriate parking lot and to the correct exit after shows. Our work also included signage within the parking lot.

Once out of their vehicles, visitors also needed clear directions to key points of the Theater Center — our signage system includes path wayfinding and dimensional letter signs identifying key locations. Pedestrian wayfinding signs, illuminated by solar light fixtures, guide visitors along paved and grassy paths between the open-air theater, parking lot, and restaurant, during daylight and nighttime hours.