When Overbury Major Projects started the fit-out of GSK’s flagship office at Tottenham Court Road, the signage installation wasn’t a straightforward element of the project. This prestigious fit-out came with several critical requirements, including GSK’s ambitious environmental standards, strict brand requirements and the challenge of designing, manufacturing and installing hundreds of bespoke signage across 13 occupied floors without disrupting the wider construction programme,
ARC UK was appointed to deliver the complete signage package for Project Emerald. The timeline was nine months. Over this short timeframe, the ARC UK team managed every stage of the project- from design development and sustainable material sourcing through to manufacture and installation. The outcome was a workplace signage solution that met GSK’s environmental commitments, was sustained on programme, and strengthened ARC UK’s long-lasting relationship with Overbury Major Projects.
| Project Title |
Project Emerald |
| Client | GSK |
| Contractor | Overbury PLC Major Projects |
| Industry | Corporate Fit-Out / Pharmaceutical HQ |
| Service Provided | Full signage design, production and installation |
| Additional Services | Illuminated signage, room numbering, sliding door signage, locker numbering, iconography, window manifestation vinyl, CCTV signage |
| Location | Tottenham Court Road, London |
| Scope | 13 floors (signage manufactured and installed across 11) |
| Timeline | 9 months, award to Practical Completion |
| Key Challenge | Meeting GSK’s stringent environmental standards while coordinating installation across multiple live floors |
| Key Outcome | Full environmental compliance, improved wayfinding and branding, delivered on time and on budget |
GSK needs no introduction as a global healthcare and pharmaceutical leader. This fit-out project was a prestigious one- it was GSK’s flagship London workspace, and the company held every element of it that symbolises wider environmental and sustainability commitments. Materials had to be traceable to sustainable sources. Carbon footprint and recyclability were requirements in GSK’s project. And because the space needed to function as a genuine showcase of the brand, every sign, from a locker number to a fully illuminated GSK logo, had to look and feel like it belonged in a flagship building.
Overbury Major Projects, delivering the fit-out itself, needed a signage partner who could work at that standard without becoming a bottleneck for the rest of the project.
On paper, “deliver the signage package” sounds straightforward. In practice, this project stacked several difficulties on top of each other.
The first was material sourcing. GSK’s environmental standards ruled out a lot of the default options in signage production, meaning ARC had to identify suppliers who could offer genuinely sustainable materials without sacrificing the finish GSK expected.
The second was scale and complexity. Thirteen floors, each with its own layout, room numbering and wayfinding needs, meant this was never going to be a single template rolled out repeatedly. Sliding doors needed direction-specific manifestations, lockers needed icon systems, and meeting rooms, print rooms and pantries all needed distinct, consistent signage that still read as one coherent scheme.
Third, and often the hardest part of any large fit-out, was the environment itself: a highly regulated, actively progressing construction site with multiple trades on site at once. Getting signage installed accurately and on schedule meant fitting into someone else’s programme, not the other way around.
ARC UK offered a comprehensive wayfinding solution that includes artwork research, design, sustainability and installation. It addresses all three from the outset.
Sustainable material sourcing: ARC partnered with certified suppliers. Every component met GSK’s requirements around reduced carbon footprint and recyclability.
Collaborative design process: ARC UK’s team worked closely with Overbury and GSK’s stakeholders. Together they mapped out the brand guidelines and floor-by-floor functional requirements. The design team developed the bespoke designs. These designs showcased GSK’s sustainability ethos.
Streamlined, low-waste production: ARC UK used its own manufacturing capability to produce the full signage suite. It assured minimum waste and also highlighted the rigorous quality control.
Installation built around the live site: Schedules were coordinated with care. This minimised disruption to other contractors, with skilled teams delivering precise, timely fits across all 13 floors.
The project closed out exactly the way GSK and Overbury needed it to- on time, within budget, and meeting every standard set at the outset.
Environmental compliance achieved: The signage package met GSK’s highest sustainability standards, from sourcing through to production.
Wayfinding and branding, elevated together: Signage across all 13 floors improved navigation while consistently reinforcing GSK’s identity, so function and aesthetics worked hand in hand.
A high-quality product without compromise: Design, functional and environmental goals were all met without trade-offs, a genuinely rare outcome at this scale.
“ARC UK exceeded our expectations in delivering a signage solution that not only met our environmental targets but also enhanced the overall aesthetic of our Tottenham Court Road location. Their attention to detail and commitment to sustainability set a benchmark for future projects.” — Overbury Major Projects
Projects like Project Emerald come down to whether a signage partner can hold multiple demanding standards at once, without letting any of them slip. That’s what businesses come to ARC UK for:
Walk through GSK’s Tottenham Court Road office now, and the signage doesn’t announce itself. Room numbers sit exactly where they should. Sliding doors are clearly marked. Lockers and facilities are easy to find without a second glance at a floor plan. The GSK identity glows quietly at the entrance and in internal spaces like The Orangery, doing exactly what good signage is meant to do: guide people, reinforce the brand, and get out of the way.
That’s the outcome- nine months of sourcing, designing, producing and installing was always working toward: a scheme that meets a global healthcare company’s sustainability bar and still feels effortless to the people using the space every day.
If you’re managing a multi-floor fit-out, a flagship HQ project, or any environment where signage needs to meet strict sustainability and brand standards without slowing down your build programme, ARC UK can assist.
