VisitLEX Visitors Center

Explore the Horse Capital of the World.

In 2018, Lexington, Kentucky’s visitor center relocated into their new home in the historic courthouse building in downtown Lexington. They took this opportunity to reimagine the visitors center experience with the goal of attracting modern visitors, building an engaging branded environment and becoming a “hub” of knowledge for visitors and locals in the city.

While were working in a historic building, we were prohibited from adding or removing any structural elements to the space. We decided to use our constraints to our advantage and create an open floor plan, where visitors were f'ree to move through the space and map their own journey. I created a system of ’story walls’; a mini-exhibition for each of the four featured stories which would live on the walls of the visitor center. We strategically placed the welcome desk in a central location so the staff could reach the visitors wherever they were in the space. We also created a media engagement strategy and a resting hub, where visitors could pick up a magazine, recharge, and prepare to explore the city.

The story walls allow for flexibility and a multi-layered experience for visitors. Each or the four story areas; Bourbon, Horses, History, and Arts & Culture, are equipped with interpretive stories, media experience, historical artifacts, and retail moments, providing different levels of engagement for a diverse range of visitors. The modular display units also allowed for content and artifacts to be exchanged and updated with ease.

We honored the graphic and material expressions to reflect the classic and modern brand identity of VisitLEX, designed by Pentagram. The furnishings and display components were built with natural wood to balance the striking blue brand color, the ceiling light fixtures reflected the brand patterns, and historic artifacts were displayed in modern case structures, further playing on the balance of old and new.

See the Media & Interactive Engagement strategy and design for the visitor center.

Visitor Center Design

Role
Graphic & Exhibit Designer

Client
Lexington Visitors Center

Team
Exhibit Designer: Sarah Bordeaux, Creative Director: Ben Jett,
Writer: Steve Hall

Year
2018