Exterior decoration and signage for a venue — Warsaw and the surrounding area

First impressions are made from the pavement

In Warsaw a venue rarely stands alone — it competes with its neighbours on both sides of the street, and after dark with their lighting too. Exterior signage has one job: to make a passer-by notice the venue, read the name and remember the place. A well-chosen form does something more along the way — it becomes an ornament of the facade and a landmark guests use when describing the place to friends.

Outdoors, not every technology passes the test, because rain, frost and sun enter the picture. Below we walk through the solutions that work — from the sign above the entrance to the area in front of the venue.

The sign above the entrance — 3D letters, a lightbox or glass neon

The starting point is a legible name above the entrance. We make 3D channel letters from durable materials resistant to rain, frost and UV, with front, halo or full illumination — letters like the ones we mounted on the Karmello shop facade and on a brick elevation for JLM. An LED-backlit lightbox offers a large surface, stays legible by day and glows strikingly at night; the outdoor version uses materials and seals that guarantee reliability whatever the weather.

If the sign is meant to distinguish the venue by character rather than merely inform — choose glass neon. It is exceptionally durable and works outdoors as well; it is the technology behind our signage for the new Empik in the former Cepelia building in central Warsaw and the neons on the facade of the Park Glinianka shopping centre.

• —A legible name, consistent with the brand identity — 3D channel letters.
• —A sign visible from across the street, by day too — a backlit lightbox.
• —A facade ornament with character that works for the image — glass neon.
• —A retro mood — bulb letters, like the ones for the Fuego restaurant.

What not to hang outdoors: LED neon

This is the most common mistake when decorating a venue from the outside. LED neon is an imitation of glass neon and we recommend it for interiors only — on a facade, in a window exposed to the sun or in a garden exposed to rain and frost we do not recommend it at all. Outdoors its role is taken by glass neon, illuminated 3D letters or a lightbox.

If you come across a cheap LED neon offered “for a facade”, ask about the warranty and about how it will hold up through a winter.

The garden, the terrace and the area in front of the venue

The area in front of the venue is often the first thing visible from the pavement — and a good place for a decoration that works in guests' photos, especially in summer when life moves outside. The same rule applies as on the facade: weather-resistant solutions only. Glass neon and illuminated 3D letters work well, and for a retro mood — bulb letters, which pair perfectly with glass neon.

In larger venues and food zones the signage covers whole spaces rather than a single sign — as with our neons for the Night Market in Warsaw. For venues with a large plot or an access road, freestanding structures and advertising pylons come into play, visible from a distance regardless of the facade.

Warsaw projects you can see in person

Warsaw is our home ground — our workshop is just outside the city and most of our work was made here. Our glass neons include the new Empik in the former Cepelia building and three stations of the Warsaw metro: Płocka, Młynów and Księcia Janusza. We signed the zones of the Night Market, have collaborated with Hala Koszyki since its opening, and our 3D letters can be seen above the entrances to the Podwale Piwna Kompania and U Szwejka restaurants, among others.

That is the practical advantage of a local workshop: before deciding you can see our neons and letters around the city, and the technology itself — at our place, during production. Clients who want to see how a glass neon is made are welcome in the workshop.

Facade installation, formalities and servicing

Exterior signage is more than the sign itself. We install illuminated advertising including electrical connections, at height as well — we are certified for it. We also help match the type of letters and lightbox to a specific facade, and advise on installation and formalities.

After installation we do not leave the client alone: we provide servicing and maintenance, so the sign glows the way it did on the day of handover.

Where to start

The quote is free. Describe the venue, send your logo or wording and a photo of the facade — we will prepare a design, a visualisation and a quote. A vector file is ideal, but a photo or a sketch is enough to start. Production happens in our own workshop near Warsaw, with no middlemen, and we take care of installation and servicing afterwards.

• —Exactly where the piece will hang — facade, window, garden. This decides the technology.
• —The width of the facade or the window — the dimension drives both legibility and price.
• —Whether power is already run to that spot, or has to be planned in.
• —When it has to be ready — glass neon is craftsmanship made to order.