2245 Monroe Street

Located adjacent to the new Herndon Metro Station on the Silver Line, right outside of Washington, DC, 2245 and 2235 Monroe Street required a monument sign that was expressive and eye-catching, unlike any other corporate office park. 

Because this sign did not have a Comprehensive Sign Plan governing size and location, we first determined an appropriate mass based on the Fairfax County signage ordinance. Knowing we’d gain more visibility with height over width, we decided to playfully stack the numerals using a sans serif type treatment for legibility as well as stability. Once the shape was refined, we explored materials that felt complementary to architectural elements of both office buildings. We worked closely with Arban Precast Stone, a family run business with roots manufacturing stone in Italy and Germany since the early 1900’s. Together, we fine-tuned the cast, stone and overall structure. We added an aluminum panel on top of the precast stone to not only add another textural element, but as a house to enclose the illuminated element of the structure.