Palace

Synonyms / Other Terms Used

Manor House, Château

Category

Tourism, Heritage Attractions

Message / Function

To indicate the location of a palace / château / manor house

	Source	Description
*	Schloss Walchen	Symmetric building with hipped roof and projections on each side, showing windows and entrance
*	Simlinger & Falkner	Symmetric building with hipped roof and projections on each side
	Falkner	Symmetric building with hipped roof and door, plus projections on each side
	Falkner	Symmetric building with hipped roof and door, plus projections on each side
	Falkner	Symmetric building with hipped roof and door, plus projections on each side and filled polygons indicating lawn
*	ON Testdesign	Symmetric building with hipped roof and three doors, projections on each side
*	ON Testdesign	Symmetric building with hipped roof and three doors, projections on each side, horizontal lines below indicate stairs
*	ÖNORM A 3011	Symmetric building with hipped roof and three doors, projections on each side, symmetric lines below to indicate central driveway

	Tern	Symmetric building with hipped roof and three doors, projections on each side, symmetric lines below to indicate central driveway
	Tourist Channel	Symmetric building with hipped roof and three doors, projections on each side, symmetric lines below to indicate central driveway
	BTA 1989	Symmetric building with hipped roof, windows, door, and garden between two trees
	Slovenia 2015	Symmetric building with three doors, towers with windows on each side
	Forster	Building with two towers and door
	Chambord	Symmetric building with door and several structural details
	RtB	Building with two crenellated towers, two gables and door
	KRESZ	Building with crenellated tower, door, windows and additional walls
	BTA 1989	Symmetric building with hipped roof, windows, and door

Discussion

The collection shown above is focused on graphic symbols for Palace as found in Europe. Due to limited resources palaces originating from other continents are not covered here right now. Some of the pictograms shown in the bottom part of the table do not differentiate between Palace and Castle.

Research reports and test results for this referent found in our database are available from Austria only, so statements concerning comprehensibility of pictograms might not be valid for regions with completely different types of palaces:

First systematic attempts to develop pictograms in this field in Austria were aimed at finding a general symbol for castle, castle ruins as well as palace. A test series in 1977 (Brugger, 1977 a and b) showed that variants either worked for castle and castle ruin, or for palace, but not for all. So the relevant committee of the Austrian Standards Institute decided to develop two separate pictograms, one for Castle and Castle Ruins and another for Palace.

The first eight pictograms in the table above (down to ÖNORM A 3011) illustrate the evolution of symbol No 84 of the Austrian standard ÖNORM A 3011. Starting out with the image from a traffic sign for Schloss Walchen in Upper Austria, Ref/Palace designs were developed and some were tested on comprehension. These are marked with a *. Responses for the first variant in this table included answers like Palace, Castle, Sight, City Hall/Guildhall, Museum, etc. (Brugger, 1977 b). Responses for the follow up design by Simlinger & Falkner showed a move towards church buildings (Brugger, 1978). After several redesigns by Falkner and discussions in the Working Group Pictogram Design AG 133.06 of the Austrian Standards Institute, finally three new designs were tested. Adding stairs in front of the building as well as the lines indicating a garden or park improved correct interpretation of the intended message (Brugger, 1983).

Recommendations

ÖNORM A 3011 Public Information Symbol No 84: Palace

Based on our investigations and test results available we recommend the use of symbol No 84 of the Austrian standard ÖNORM A 3011-4 to indicate the location of a palace.

Tests of pictograms of referent Palace

Brugger, Ch. (1977 a): Abschlußbericht über den Reihungstest. Report to the Austrian Standards Institute, Vienna, 1977-07-27.

Brugger, Ch. (1977 b): Abschlußbericht über den Erkennungstest. Report to the Austrian Standards Institute, Vienna, 1977-10-04.

Brugger, Ch. (1978): Bericht über die Auswertung des Erkennungstests vom November/Dezember 1977. Report to the Austrian Standards Institute, Vienna, 1978-03-06.

Brugger, Ch. (1983): Abschlußbericht über den Verständnistest. Report to the Austrian Standards Institute (ON) dated May 1983, Vienna.