The 3M Company added a major feature to its St. Paul, Minnesota headquarters with a massive wrap around that covers 30 percent of two sides of the building. The 12-story installation reads, “Curiosity is just the beginning,” and can be seen from the adjacent highway. It is designed to be a visual representation of the company’s Wonder Campaign, which “seeks to inspire people to examine the world around them and see that curiosity can lead to great discoveries.”
Almost 500 pieces of 3M graphic film were placed together like a mosaic on each side of the building, an act meant to reinforce the brand’s position as a science and technology company. The perforated film placed on the windows allow 60 percent of light to shine through and for people to see out while still reflecting color to outside viewers.
The Wonder Campaign is centered around “what if’s” like: What if phones were people-proof?; Can darkness reveal the light?; What if homes helped around the house? Technologies including self-driving smart buses, energy efficient smart homes are already in development at the company, and the brand hopes the new installation may drive more people to become curious about what 3M products they might see in their daily lives someday.
3M partnered with the Vomela Companies to print and install the design that now covers much of their headquarters. Paul Peterson, operations director for The Vomela Companies said in a statement, “We have partnered with 3M for 70 years and this project is an excellent example of design creativity and best-in-class application of 3M Science.”
