10 ROWS x 32 COLUMNS
Black Sheet Metal Casing
Stock Font and Flaps
Flight-Tracker Software
Black Swan sought to offer a unique full-service beer hall experience to locals and visitors alike. It was made clear from the beginning of this project that Nolita Hall’s aesthetic was to be rooted in modern and traditional European drinking emporiums with a particular keenness for Italian design. With this, David Michael, Principal of Tecture Inc., imagined including a Split Flap display into Nolita’s layout. Tecture Inc. was handling the custom elements to be included in the space, but they quickly realized that recreating a Solari style Split Flap was beyond their capabilities. David connected Oat Foundry with Doug Hamm, Founder of Black Swan Hospitality (owner of Nolita Hall) and President/Founder of Creative House to explore the capabilities of Split Flap displays.
In speaking with Doug, Oat Foundry discovered he wanted to add an element totally unlike anything anyone in the San Diego area had ever seen in Little Italy. Creative House owns several other properties in the San Diego area, but Doug wanted Nolita Hall to top all the rest. After Doug’s first discussion with Oat Foundry, it became clear he had larger aspirations. He asked about the largest Split Flap we had ever created, then asked us to go beyond that. His goal? Automatically display information about the flights flying overhead using a Split Flap.
In order to meet Doug’s needs as well as fit Nolita’s open-air, European feel, we decided to create a 10R x 32C Split Flap (65″ x 96″). Our team assembled the Split Flap by hand to ensure the highest possible quality. The stock Split Flap font fit perfectly with the modern elements of the beer hall while ensuring readability from anywhere in the venue.
One of the most exciting parts of this project was engaging Oat Foundry’s programming services to create a custom Flight Tracker API. This Split Flap pulls data about planes landing in San Diego, posting the flight information on the board at the precise moment that plane is flying overhead. Not only does this create conversation amongst customers, but it gives Nolita Hall a completely unique edge – something guests will talk about during their travels.
Oat Foundry is proud to offer on-site Split Flap installation anywhere in the world. After ~12 weeks of design and production, John and Luc, Oat Foundry engineers, traveled to San Diego to install this massive Split Flap at Nolita Hall. Within a day, the installation and final testing was completed.
In mid-April 2018, Nolita Hall opened their doors to offer the public wood-fired pizza and other dishes from the oven, as well as 24 beers and a specially crafted cocktail menu. Oat Foundry’s Split Flap welcomed locals and travelers alike to the trendy spot. For the rest of its days, the Nolita Hall Split Flap will display menu items and flights to those enjoying the gourmet menu.
“Oat Foundry did a fantastic job. We were incredibly excited to have a Split Flap!” – Douglas Hamm President & Founder at Creative House // Black Swan // UrbanCA
Love Split Flap projects? Sign up for our monthly Analog Design Email!
