Ollywood used Drytac Polar Street FX to create a new floor graphic in Birmingham's busy Brindleyplace, a project that required durability and safety on wet surfaces.
Brindleyplace, a busy area in central Birmingham, has been transformed with a giant floor graphic created by Ollywood using Drytac's durable outdoor floor media Polar Street FX.
A popular meeting point in an area of the city packed with offices and corporate spaces, Brindleyplace is undergoing a campaign to encourage people to '#RediscoverBrindley' following COVID-19 restrictions. Avison Young, a global real estate advisor managing the project, commissioned Newport-based Ollywood to print and install the floor display. As well as grabbing attention, the 35m-long floor graphic serves to direct pedestrians to nearby restaurants and attractions including the Ikon Gallery and SEA LIFE aquarium.
In addition to requiring the durability to withstand heavy foot traffic including high heels, the floor graphic had to be securely installed between two water features. Ollywood, who has worked with Avison Young on several other projects across the UK, sought advice from its media supplier Soyang to find a material that could do the job.
"Soyang recommended Drytac Polar Street FX for its slip rating and for its durability on surfaces that get wet," comments Oliver Williams, Managing Director, Ollywood. "Floor graphics are quite common at the moment to promote social distancing but I've noticed many that are peeling, they're not made for long-term outdoor use.
"Polar Street FX is priced slightly higher than other floor media but it is better - it does the job it's meant to. Because it's aluminium-based it's more durable than vinyl and Drytac is stricter than other brands about slip ratings. I'd rather use a slightly more expensive product than end up with a bad result."
Drytac Polar Street FX is a 250µ (10 mil) textured printable white matte aluminium film, coated on one side with a high-tack adhesive for safety and security in public environments. It has been designed to be non-slip and scuff-resistant without the need for lamination, making it perfect for fast-turnaround outdoor floor graphics jobs.
The installation in Birmingham took place on an autumn day in October - just eight weeks after the initial site visit and concept discussions - but the Ollywood team overcame the difficult conditions.
"The application of floor graphics is always tricky on cold, wet days," says Oliver, "but the Polar Street FX went down perfectly, even alongside the water features. We take care over our preparation but it's worth taking the time."
Oliver's management skills and attention to detail stems from a previous role as a chef in the RAF. After leaving the military he worked with Waitrose on a festival food truck project, where he became interested in the design and build side of event production. Finding that few businesses bring together all of these services under one roof, he established Ollywood to meet this market demand 18 months ago.
"We're looking forward to more projects like the Brindleyplace floor graphic," says Oliver. "Polar Street FX is a great product we can use for jobs like this as it really showcases what's possible. We're also keen to try different Drytac products as new projects come up."
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