Project Overview

The University of Arizona and Arizona State University share one of the most storied and intense rivalries in all of college sports. The Territorial Cup, awarded each year to the winning football team, predates Arizona’s statehood and is certified by the NCAA as the oldest rivalry trophy in college football. So, when the Tucson-based University of Arizona decided to create a hub in Phoenix near ASU’s campus in 2024, it was crucial that the space was engineered to be welcoming and communal so the Wildcats could put their best paw forward in enemy territory. 

The resulting building is the University of Arizona Scottsdale Center, positioned right in the heart of historic Old Town Scottsdale. Designed by Ayers Saint Gross, the center embodies minimalism through clean architectural lines, warm natural materials, and refined lighting, creating a calm yet exciting environment for students, parents, and alumni alike. From the custom terrazzo flooring and university colors to a sweeping Picture Flap display, every element speaks to the school’s energizing identity and its iconic desert setting.

University Use Case

The Scottsdale Center regularly hosts a wide variety of events for students, prospective students, faculty, alumni, and industry and research leaders. For many who pass through its doors, the center will serve as the University of Arizona’s first impression. Its centerpiece is a captivating Picture Flap display which commands attention through tactile, analog motion. Innovating beyond typical static or digital university signage, the display reflects the university’s forward-thinking spirit while celebrating its legacy. Set against a crisp white backdrop beneath a geometric wood ceiling, the Picture Flap installation complements the building’s architectural style, anchoring the space with the bold declaration: “Wonder Makes Us Arizona.”

The Picture Flap adds movement and storytelling to the visitor experience, fostering curiosity and exploration that will be emblematic of their relationship with the university, whether as a student, staff member, collaborator, or even rival. Altogether, the space is layered with warmth, purpose, and motion, embodying the university’s mission to inspire wonder in every student who walks through its doors.

Functionality and Design

There’s no place where a conversation starter is more crucial than in a space purpose-built for collaboration. Every month, the Scottsdale Center hosts dozens of mixers, symposiums, conferences, and informational events where people meet for the first time. As such, the designers needed university signage that would spark organic conversations to foster foundational relationships among guests. The Picture Flap’s gentle whooshing sound draws attention without drowning out chatter, and cycles through inspiring imagery of the university, giving visitors plenty to talk about while keeping the focus squarely on the U of A.

Press and Media

The University of Arizona announced the Scottsdale Center when it opened in 2024, and the center’s executive director Sara Fleury touted its innovative design. She praised the center for being engineered “to promote interconnectedness in theory and in practice,” and went on to call it “an ideal place to convene with community, industry, and public sector partners.” Its success as a gathering place for university and community members alike earned it an entry on Experience Scottsdale, and its centerpiece Picture Flap wall was highlighted by the center’s design firm, Ayers Saint Gross, both on LinkedIn and their website. 

FAQS

What makes analog displays effective in university settings? 

Analog displays serve as excellent experiential signage, making them great conversation starters. Most university signage will either be static or digital, so when students or staff see the immersive, tactile functioning of an analog display, it will be a point of discussion. Whether it’s freshmen entering an entirely new world or a group of students joining a class together for the first time, university students need spaces engineered to help break the ice and foster new relationships.

Why would university students be particularly drawn to analog displays? 

The incoming class of college undergraduates will be the first to include Generation Alpha students. Born in the early 2010s, Gen Alpha does not know a non-digital world, so creating an inspiring campus design will be key to ensuring their academic, social, and emotional success. Analog university signage steps beyond the novelty of being retro and becomes something entirely new, eye-catching, and instantly memorable. 

How can Oat Foundry’s analog signage be customized for my university? 

Both Split Flap and Picture Flap displays offer customization options for interior branding at schools, including custom typefaces, font and flap colors, frame color, and the ability to add logos, emojis, and symbols. Learn more about the available artboard styles for Picture Flap, or how analog technology can fit into your next interior branding project, here.

How can my university benefit from a custom-branded Picture Flap?

Picture Flaps, Split Flaps, or any analog display instantly elevates the space it inhabits and fosters a sense of wonder, innovation, and timeless class. There are virtually limitless options to customize the dimensions and content of each display. Analog university signage creates an unforgettable ambiance with its classic look and calming but unintrusive sonic qualities. 

Is Oat Foundry’s analog signage sustainable?

Yes, incredibly so. Oat Foundry’s Picture Flap and Split Flap displays both run on a fraction of the energy required to power a digital sign of the same size. (For instance, LED walls consume ~9× to 26× more max power than Picture Flap, depending on model.)

Additionally, the displays do not run hot like many screens, 194 BTU max heat vs. 5800 BTU max heat when comparing Picture Flap to Samsung’s The Wall. The ability to reduce energy consumption is one of the many reasons The Philadelphia Citizen highlighted Oat Foundry’s eco-friendly signage and its efforts to integrate sustainability throughout its production process.