Union Collective

Branding, Design, Wayfinding

/ 2018–2019
massive abstract painted mural art on the side of the Union Collective warehouse in Baltimore

Reenergizing a former industrial site with massive murals and colorful signage


Located in a former Sears distribution center, Union Collective is a curated commercial development and home to Baltimore makers that include Union Craft Brewing, Baltimore Spirits Company, Vent Coffee Roasters, a climbing gym, and various small craft producers. Our branding, wayfinding signage, and environmental graphics enliven the space, signaling its transformation from nondescript warehouse to buzzing artisan hub.

Union Collective logo custom stencil lettering typography made from geometric shapes Bauhaus style
People sitting on custom shipping crate seating in front of colorful geometric shape supergraphic murals in the hallways of the Union Collective building

The Union Collective branding playfully pays homage to the building’s industrial past. Stencil lettering and geometric wall graphics suggest shelves stacked with goods and appliances. Vibrant color and kinetic compositions represent the energy of the space’s present-day tenants.

Colorful murals enliven the warehouse’s cavernous hallways. From precarious stacks to full-width patterns to tumbling heaps, the forms leap across walls and floors in a variety of creative supergraphics. The stacked shapes and crate-like seating reference the building’s history as a Sears distribution center, given colorful new life by local artisan businesses.

custom shipping crate seating inside of the Union Collective building
Union Collective logo custom stencil lettering typography made from geometric shapes Bauhaus style
Colorful geometric shape supergraphic murals in the hallways of the Union Collective building, with custom shipping crate seating
A man walking past colorful geometric shape supergraphic murals painted in the hallways and floors of the Union Collective building
Colorful geometric shape supergraphic murals in the hallways of the Union Collective building
Colorful geometric shape supergraphic murals painted on the floors of the Union Collective building

“That’s a big wall.”

A massive, 400-foot long mural covers the back of Union Collective, transforming this drab brick wall into an unmistakable Baltimore landmark. Facing I-83, the busiest highway in Baltimore, the mural brightens the commutes of tens of thousands of drivers each day.

A view of the Union Collective warehouse before renovation and supergraphics
The back of the warehouse before renovations (Google Maps)
Enormous mural on the side of the Union Collective warehouse building in baltimore composed of colorful orange, blue, and grey geometric shapes including circles, triangles, parallelograms, squares, etc.
Massive mural on the side of the Union Collective warehouse building in baltimore composed of colorful orange, blue, and grey geometric shapes including circles, triangles, parallelograms, squares, etc.
Union Collective geometric stencil logo mural on the side of a warehouse building in baltimore

Memorable wayfinding

Roadside pylons and wayfinding signage built with salvaged wood recall the shipping palettes that once filled the former warehouse. A context-specific approach and bold design aesthetic allowed our team to make a big impact with a lean budget. The experiential design — supergraphics, murals, signage, and custom seating — helps shape a memorable visitor experience to the Union Collective complex.

Wooden plank pylon sign with geometric stencil lettering at the entrance to the Union Collective warehouse in Baltimore
Directional parking lot wayfinding signage in front of the Union Collective warehouse building
Custom wayfinding signage with stencil lettering on the Union Collective warehouse building
Custom wayfinding signage with stencil lettering on the Union Collective warehouse building

Project team: Nolen Strals, Bruce Willen, Kacie Mills, John Vetter
Collaborators: Ziger/Snead Architects, Union Craft Brewing, Seawall Development, Marshall Adams, Gutierrez Studios

Some Thing in the Water
The Necessity of Tomorrow(s)