The Challenge:
Elevated highways have almost universally been deemed a bad urban planning idea, mainly due to the forgotten void below; the underpass. It’s a common headache for many cities, as the underpass often serves as a breeding ground for trash, overgrown weeds, and an overall unsafe and uninviting area. The City of Charlotte set out to change that, one underpass at a time.
On this particular project, the City was looking to revitalize the North Graham Street underpass area by adding illuminated sculptural and architectural features to enhance the area and give the once mundane underpass a new look.
The Solution:
Rite Lite Signs set out to create an outdoor art installation that included stainless steel freestanding door frames and lightboxes, along with inset light boxes along the brick wall framing the underpass. These illuminated and architectural features would not only enhance the overall aesthetic look, but would also function to deter congregating in the area.
Rite Lite Signs was the perfect fit for this project, as the experience needed to create and build the massive stainless steel structures falls right in our wheelhouse. The North Graham Street underpass revitalization wasn’t just your basic signage, after all.
Fortunately, our capabilities are virtually limitless and we welcome the chance to push the limits of everyday design and fabrication. The massive stainless steel features for the underpass called for a specific skillset that not just any sign company could execute. Stainless steel, chosen for this project based on it’s overall polished-look and sustainability, required a vast knowledge of custom fabrication, unique welding techniques, and specialized skills that are unique to our team of expert fabricators. The LED lighting installation is the finishing element to help the space come to life.
The finished project checked all the boxes for the City of Charlotte’s vision for the North Graham Street underpass. Our innovative design, custom creations, and enhanced lighting techniques transformed a once run-down, unappealing area into an aesthetically pleasing work of art.
