Totems & Monolith Signs

Engineered installations that communicate and enhance visitor journeys

Make your mark

Totems, sometimes called monoliths or pylons, are structurally fabricated assets that can create maximum impact at your site before someone has even entered your building.

Whether they fulfill a purpose such as directing a visitor around a space or whether they are offering a simple ‘welcome’ message, these units offer brands an opportunity to reflect key brand characteristics.

From the careful use of materials to the integration of colour and illumination, totems offer flexibility and are often seen as a key identity marker within a signage scheme.

Types of totems & monolith signs

Electric vehicle charging station on a city street with a passing red double-decker bus.

Brand statements

Totems can be the first brand touch-point at a site, offering an ideal opportunity to communicate brand values.

Person standing next to a large blue sign with "FAST NRG" and a plug icon.

BS EN 1090 fabricated

Legally compliant BS EN 1090 fabrication in-house at our Gateshead  facility

A tall sign with "JET" in blue and a green "Unleaded" section against a clear sky.

Information messengers

Translating quick, snap-shot information to visitors to enhance their journey.

Wembley Stadium entrance with a large digital sign reading "YOU ME & EVERY BODY.

Wayfinders

Guiding visitors around a site through traditional or digital message panels

Wooden sign indicating directions to "Car Park" and "Accessible Parking" with wheelchair symbol, situated in a modern parking area with visible shelter and greenery in the background.

Custom designed

Custom designed to support brand engagement and enhance any environment

Our process

01

Site visit

A site visit and survey are essential for totem installs—ensuring accurate dimensions, safe access planning, and early hazard identification to support detailed RAMS and Lift Plans for a smooth, safe installation.
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02

Design

Design expertise may be required to draft-up a concept of what the totem will look like and this is often accompanied by sampling to ensure that key characteristics such as colour and illumination are in line with the brand identity.
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03

Technical drawing

Technical design transforms concepts into manufacture-ready drawings, incorporating structural calculations, wind tolerance, and groundwork requirements to ensure a safe, buildable totem.
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04

BS EN 1090 compliant

BS EN 1090 compliant structural fabrication of the totem within our manufacturing facility, ensuring that technical drawings are adhered to for fabrication and fixing methodology.

05

Totem installation

Totem installation is guided by a legally required Lift Plan, developed by our fully trained in-house Appointed Persons to ensure a safe, seamless process that avoids hazards.
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Expert insight

Drawings and technical compliancy

Hear from Phil Stocker about the process of drawings technical compliancy for totems & monolith signs.

Our totems & monolith signs projects

Wembley Stadium with its iconic arch and UEFA Euro 2020 signage, flanked by tall buildings.
View client work
Green sign for Worsley Park Country Club surrounded by trees and bushes near a sidewalk.
View client work
Electric vehicle charging station at night with multiple charging units and a "Now Open" sign.
View client work
MFG
Large green sign for The Sill National Landscape Discovery Centre and Northumberland National Park.
View client work
Large, intricately carved wooden sculpture mounted on a wooden slatted wall.
View client work
A black sign with "FASTNED" and a yellow logo stands against a wooden fence and cloudy sky.
View client work
A well-lit gas station with a convenience store in the background during twilight.
View client work
JET

FAQs

I’m not sure where to start as I haven’t arranged for a totem before

If you review our Step by Step guide above you’ll see that the best place to start is a site visit and survey. This way we can advise you on how to firstly identify where the totem(s) would be best located in line with your typical customer journey, how to prepare groundworks (or we can arrange this for you) and how we can support with the initial design. Complete the contact form and it would help if you could include how many units you’d like, whereabouts in the UK they would be required and if you have a ballpark budget.

How do you ensure they don’t fall over in the wind!

Each totem is meticulously designed by our technical team to ensure compliance with BS EN 1090 certification for safe fabrication. We collaborate closely with Quantity Surveyors and Structural Engineers to guarantee accurate calculations, tailoring each totem to the specific characteristics of its installation site.

For instance, coastal locations may experience stronger winds than inland areas, necessitating reinforced structures, while larger totems require more robust groundworks. Every totem is engineered and constructed to meet the precise demands of its environment.

I have a totem already but need to change the messaging and/or brand? Can it be reused?

In line with our sustainability objectives, we will always look to reuse wherever we can. Some totems are clad with aluminium panels for example, and these can often simply be replaced with newly manufactured cladding. However, this is dependent on how the current totem is constructed and in what condition it is in. It’s something we can advise on at the initial site visit.

Contact Us

We'd love to learn more about your project and how we can help.

If you have a project you'd like to discuss, even if it's still early on in development, our team would be able to advise and consult on a number of key elements for consideration.

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Fill out our contact form below and our team will be in touch!



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