Livelihood Reports Al Amrikeya Area - Final Assessment | Page 130

2.3.5.3 Signage
A signage survey was conducted by observing
the different types of signage in the area: Com-
mercial signage belonging to specific shops,
advertisements boards or way finding signage.
Commercial signage is the most abundant in cat-
egory since the area is mostly commercial and
each shop has a sign at its storefront. (Figure 38)
These signs not only identify shops, but also il-
luminate the area in the evening. When street
vendors occupy the main roads in the evening,
many of these signs become hidden to the pub-
lic. No specific standard was observed for com-
mercial signs (Figure 39), but they often occupy
a large portion of the façade, sometimes taking
up even the façade of the mezzanine. The vast
majority of these are visible from adjacent roads.
Advertisements are the second most recurring
type of signage present in the AAA. This signage
hangs on the outside walls of the malls to inform
the public about available services. Some adver-
tisements also usually disseminate information
of upper floor or basement shops, as they are
invisible from the street level. However, several
ads encountered showed items or services that
are not actually provided in the area. Shop own-
ers mention that the mall imposed a fee in or-
der to allow them to place advertisements away
from their shops. The amount varies based on
the location of the advertisement; the more visi-
ble the sign, the higher the fee. Inside the malls,
many stickers are placed on the walls as adver-
tisements or giving directions to specific shops
to bypass the fee required for the placement of
ads (because sticker advertisements are free).
This variety in types and colours of signage
grants the area a dynamic and vibrant appeal.
Another informal type of advertising observed
was through the distribution of samples of some
shops, especially perfume samples. Some shops
place a display or production unit outside of
their store, which also acts as an attraction point
for customers.
Some way finding signs were found that indicate
the location of a specific shop or service. This
is used in cases where a service is not visible
from the street level. Therefore these signs act
as both directions and advertisements. A very
small percentage of street signs were found,
half of which were invisible. All of those are lo-
cated facing al-Tahrir Street, a main artery, and
the majority are around Diamond Mall. This in-
dicates that way finding inside the AAA area is
all managed informally without government in-
terference. This is emphasised by the fact that
the vast majority of signs found in the area are
informal.
Figure 38: Conceptual collage of the existing signage
along the Syrian passage in AAA © Takween icd
Figure 39: Signage variety enhances the area’s identity
and decorates building facades © Takween icd
2.3 | Built Environment Analysis
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