heavy metal meadows

Brief// To raise awareness for the protection of an ecosystem, communicate it’s uniqueness, describe some of the species and set out usage guidelines for the area.

Project/ 10 interpretive outdoor panels for ‘Schwermetallrasen’ (heavy metal meadow)

Solution/ We chose a five colour screen print on brushed stainless steel. This was mounted onto a thick rusted steel slab to reflect the ‘heavy metal character’ of the project and to address durability requirements (this signage needed to have a fade resistance of at least a decade).

Client/ Paul Feindt Stiftung (conservational trust, Hildesheim, Germany)

Background/ The river Innerste has heavy metal contamination from previous mining activity in its tributaries. After spring floods cattle would drop dead on the flood plain. To contain the pollution, dams were built. The contaminated area inside (Schwermetallrasen) has grown into a unique ecosystem with a combination of rare heavy metal resistant species. The lack of other more prevalent species allowed them to firmly establish themselves.