Confederation Beach Park
city of hamilton, hamilton
Confederation Beach Park is a picturesque waterfront park situated along the shores of Lake Ontario. Spanning 93 acres, it boasts a beautiful beach, walking trails, and lush green spaces, making it a popular spot for recreational activities and natural enjoyment.
KDA has created a detailed master plan for signage and wayfinding at Confederation Beach Park, aiming to enhance its year-round visibility and appeal for recreation and services. As part of this initiative, KDA not only designed a more inviting brand logo that accurately captures the park’s waterfront charm but also implemented a strategic wayfinding approach. This approach involved creating four zoned areas to improve orientation, de-emphasis the park’s lengthy linear structure, and clearly delineate its boundaries. The plan encompasses a variety of elements, including a messaging hierarchy, signage fixture design, location plan, custom iconography, and orientation maps featuring walking distances.
new name, new look
KDA creatively introduced a new name and logo for Confederation Park by seamlessly incorporating the word ‘Beach.’ This intentional addition not only enriches the park’s identity but also visually underscores its unique essence as a Beach Park. This strategic choice serves to immediately communicate the park’s special water front position within the broader City of Hamilton’s Park network.
While preserving the historical and traditional significance of the name ‘Confederation Park,’ the inclusion of ‘Beach’ introduces a dynamic element that effectively conveys the park’s renewed character. This thoughtful adjustment is not merely a change in name; it is a purposeful transformation that resonates with the park’s essence and impact within the community.
distinct identiy, award-winning program
By emphasizing landmarking and placemaking, the program forged a distinctive identity and unified presentation of the park’s new brand image through a cohesive and engaging family of sign types, earning KDA a Urban Design and Architecture Award for branding and wayfinding.
an iconic symbol
In symbolism, a lighthouse universally signifies the water’s edge, safeguarding mariners, and serving as a beacon of hope and protection. Embracing this symbolism, KDA created a custom lighthouse icon to complement the stylized wordmark designed for Confederation Beach Park.
Displayed alongside a wrapping ‘C’ form, serving as a monogram for Confederation, the icon simply and memorably encapsulates the essence of the Park’s waterfront location.
The KDA team had been a joy to collaborate with on this award-winning project for the City of Hamilton. Their creativity and professionalism were reflected in the designs from concept development to detailed designs and fabrication to final installation.
