5-0 at the East Campus

It is not the score of a soccer or a hockey game, but the new sign that towers inside the East Campus bar spaces. It is a cube of 140 LED elements visible from both the plaza and the corridor. The lines can be individually programmed to trigger different designs and lettering. Andreas Gysin and Sidi Vanetti, designers and creators of the project, tell us about the sign.

Let's start with the bar's name; what does 5-0 mean?

The bar's name is inspired by a cocktail created in the seventies. Its ingredients are white wine, Bitter Campari and lemon. The sign concept is rooted in the history of the site where the East Campus now stands, which was originally occupied by the Campari factory. Among the various proposals for the bar's name, this one was chosen for its uniqueness. 

This sign was custom made; can you explain how?

For the sign's design, we were inspired by old-school neon lights, like the ones in big cities. So we came up with the idea of reproducing the shape of the classic cocktail glass, a triangle supported by two other lines. Later the project evolved, and we ended up with more complex and systematic artwork. First, we tried to add some volume, and this particular shape was born from there. The whole sign is custom-made, with different materials that have been combined with an ad-hoc manufactured system. In addition, the sign is placed so that it can be seen both from the inner corridor and from the external courtyard, thus favouring the view from two different angles.

A dynamic sign

The sign is powered by several customisable RGBW LED strips - 8720 in total. The LEDs are programmed through custom-made software that creates short choreographies alternating with "Cinque a Zero". This is just one of the elements of the bar's image; we also designed other communication elements such as coasters and menus.

Opening hours:

The bar is open from 8.00 am to 3 pm.
Entrance to the Bar and Cafeterias on both East and West Campuses is permitted only to paying customers (no picnic allowed).