rank it up! While a mere three words, the phrase encapsulates the exhibit-design challenge handed down by Sonance, a groundbreaking architectural-audio company founded in 1982.

Sonance has always been head and tweeters above the competition in high-end in-wall audio products. But in 2005, it realized its branding, identity, and exhibit designs had been playing the same tune for far too long. It enlisted Pentagram Design to crank it up.

A study in form and simplicity, the resulting 50-by-80-foot exhibit was a three-dimensional representation of the company’s new logo, featuring three progressively expanding grey boxes that symbolize amplification. “We used color, strong form, and lighting, rather than elaborate materials to create a memorable space,” said Pentagram partner Lorenzo Apicella.

Four 11-foot-tall aluminum cubes created a focal point overhead. Reaching a height of 20 feet, the internally lit, hollowed-out cubes housed fabric in the new corporate color palette.

The bottom of each cube served as a ceiling for an abstract, product-filled room below. Bamboo flooring echoing the bottom of each cube was paired with classic furniture to create an environment befitting the design-conscious brand.

“The top part of the space was a visual treat,” judges said, “while the bottom part was all business. It was the perfect mix of organization and whimsy.”

With this simple but stunning exhibit, designers didn’t just crank it up a notch, they rocketed past all other Exhibit Design Awards entrants to take home the competition’s top honor — the EDGE Award for Exhibit Design and Graphics Excellence.