Watermark Hotel

Eclectic Historic Hotel Requires Artful, Custom Signage

The Watermark Hotel in Baton Rouge, Louisiana sits along the banks of the Mississippi River and has a rich history. Built in 1927, the Watermark Hotel is today an iconic landmark. When constructed, it was the city’s first skyscraper and headquarters to the Louisiana Trust & Savings Bank. Listed in the National Historic Registry, the hotel maintains carved marble walls and staircases, hand-painted ceiling murals by the celebrated artist Angela Gregory, and old bank vaults converted into unique, dramatic spaces.

When designing and implementing signage solutions for the Watermark Hotel, it was important to partner with a signage company that could weave together the old and the new; proposing options that would both highlight historic charm, while bringing a fresh ambiance to the building.

ASI was the right fit for providing this custom service. Working directly with the building’s owner as a design-build contractor, ASI artfully designed and implemented the Watermark Hotel’s vision of signage solutions that evoked an Art Deco design with a sophisticated edge.

About the Solution

Every aspect of the signage design required an innovative solution. The interior signage reflects the hotel’s history and eclectic design vision.  The ADA room signs were customized around the hotel logo and brand elements. ASI, Louisiana utilized 3D printing technology to create a custom logo, braille and raised copy for the interior ADA room signage. An incredibly unique element to the design process was incorporating the history of the Watermark Hotel and evoking the imagery of an old bank. ASI, Louisiana designed custom images from frosted vinyl to create the illusion of a giant safe door on the glass of the Meeting Room doors. In the elevator lobbies, upon final wall completion, the old call boxes were left protruding from the wall. ASI, Louisiana fabricated custom call boxes in solid brass that covered the existing boxes while respectfully reflecting the brand.

The exterior signage stands out as both innovative and extensive in scope. ASI, Louisiana designed and implemented both a 36’’ high by 6’ wide Flag-Mount Cabinet Sign as well as a 40’ long Panel Sign with a set of 42” high Channel Letters. Working closely with the architects and city officials, the ASI team received the necessary city approvals, a task which can be especially difficult for a building on the National Historic Registry. Creating a 36’’ high by 6’ wide Flag-Mount Cabinet for the main street sign posed a challenge. A contractor removed 24” of brick to expose the concrete supports, while an engineer helped design steel supports that were anchored to the concrete column. Once the brick was reinstalled, ASI, Louisiana had the sign cabinet erected over the support tubes. A 40’ long Panel Sign with a set of 42”high Channel Letters was installed at the top of the building, along the wall of the 13th Floor Penthouse. A commercial crane and multiple street closures were required to complete the final installation.