Category: Visual information systems

Polana Jakuszycka is an iconic place on the sports map of Poland, located in the Sudety Mountains on a mountain pass on the border between Poland and the Czech Republic. The microclimate, picturesque location, natural beauty and numerous ski, cycle and hiking trails make it a hugely popular tourist and sports destination. The Bieg Piastów cross-country skiing competition, the most famous mass event of this discipline in Poland, has been held there since 1979.

Dolnośląskie Centrum Sportu Polana Jakuszycka (DCS), a multifunctional sports facility, began its operation on Polana Jakuszycka in the winter season of 2023, serving as a tourist and sports base, fully harnessing the potential of the destination. Competitions and training camps can now take place there all year round: cross-country skiing, biathlons, MTB, and running.

Our task was to prepare the signage for this multi-purpose facility used by hundreds of skiing, mountain biking and trekking enthusiasts. The building houses changing rooms for athletes, a hotel, a conference centre, restaurants, a bistro, a swimming pool, a sports hall, and an interactive centre, among others. An underground car park has also been built underneath the sports arena with the biathlon shooting range. Our aim was to subtly convey the sporty nature of the venue and incorporate the signage elements into the interiors and architecture of the building.

A distinctive feature of the signage are the vertically mounted yellow-painted steel profiles providing information about the main functions of the building. The inspiration for these elements came from the skis that athletes place on racks in between training or competitions. They form an interesting combination of vertical shapes in different colours, with elements of different sports brands’ typography and branding. We opted for a yellow differentiator in our DCS signage system – influenced by the branding of the facility, it effectively stands out in the interiors and provides a strong contrast, clearly legible for the visually impaired. Another important element of the building’s identity is the patterning, which we assigned to the four floors of the building. The designs are a synthesis of the footprints left on the ground by athletes of various disciplines: cross-country skiers (classic style and skate), MTB cyclists, as well as cross-country skiers and hikers conquering the mountains on foot.
In the graphic design, we referred to classic Olympic icons from the 1970s and created a typeface that we used for signage and numbering, and that can also be used in the venue’s marketing materials. We also prepared a database of synthetic graphic forms, which we used to create several simple murals complementing the graphic design of the building.

The facility has enjoyed considerable popularity since it was opened. It is not only the venue of major sporting events, but is also very popular with local communities. It can be reached directly by train from Wrocław or the Czech Republic – the train station is right in front of the entrance to the building.