Smart business owners know the value of well-designed signs. They capture the customer's attention, provide the first impression and communicate the type of business. Sign Gallery 7 offers a wide ...
Germany’s Timber Signs creates ambience for an Asian-themed restaurant.
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In late 2008, a very good customer, Christian Mook, called us to order signage for his latest restaurant project. He already owns three upscale, well-known restaurants in Frankfurt, Germany’s financial capital. The last sign project we produced for him decorated The Ivory Club, a spectacular restaurant that serves “contemporary colonial cuisine.” But, he assured us this new project would surpass the wow factor of even that.
He’d already decided on “Zenzakan” for the name, and the subhead, “Pan Asian Supperclub.” Because this client always knows exactly what he wants, he emailed us an initial sketch of the logo design. We touched it up slightly to size it properly and selected a new font for the subhead using Gerber’s Omega 3.0 After this step, the artwork was ready to go.
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Getting to the point
The program integrates four major parts. The unique circle design, known in Japanese as ensö, a symbol that means “true reality,” provides the background. The name, Zenzakan, provides the next layer, followed by the subhead. A full-size replica of a Japanese sword crowns the production. In essence, we were hired to create a new sign that looks very old. It was challenging to create a spectacular, distinctive sign that would fit within a sophisticated, Asian-style interior.
Our contract stipulated fabricating two large signs that enveloped the 7-ft.-diameter circle. One sign features an 8-ft.-long sword; the other sports a 7-ft.-long version that accommodates a lower ceiling. Because both signs were installed indoors, we enjoyed numerous material choices – we had no heat or weather worries. We were excited about possibilities to make our multi-layered sign outstanding.
Next, we created a 3-D photo rendering to show the customer our ideas. He liked it, but I couldn´t simulate every detail. Mook had invested much money in this project, so we decided to start with a 1:4 scale model. He paid for this sample, which he planned to place somewhere behind the front counter. We also produced an identical model for our own use. An effective model is a powerful sales tool in a showroom or tradeshow booth.
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