Illuminated archway sign reading 'Liberty Station, San Diego, California' with an anchor emblem, spanning a street lined with palm trees and wrought-iron gates, with cars driving beneath at dusk.

San Diego, California

Liberty Station

From Naval Legacy 
to Cultural Heart

Project type

Brand Development Placemaking Design

Project sector

Mixed-Use Design Streetscape Design
Aerial view of Liberty Station's Spanish-style historic buildings with red tile roofs, landscaped courtyards, a central fountain, and a flagpole, framed by palm trees, with San Diego's skyline and bay visible in the distance.

Project info

Client The Corky McMillin Companies

Guiding experience through heritage & culture

Liberty Station is a 361-acre mixed-use destination located on the former Naval Training Center in San Diego. Rooted in arts and culture, the site brings together a series of distinct districts, including retail and commercial spaces, a nonprofit-focused promenade, and educational, residential, hotel, and office environments. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and officially closed in 1997, the transformation of the base sought to honor its military legacy while reimagining it as a welcoming public amenity.

RSM Design partnered with the project team to lead initial visioning and brand strategy, followed by the design of a site-wide signage system and comprehensive brand and signage guidelines to support future growth. Drawing inspiration from the site’s naval history, the identity features clean, strong forms that carry through the signage and wayfinding. Today, Liberty Station is home to local favorites such as Stone Brewing Company, Soda & Swine, and a public market with more than two dozen artisan food and retail vendors, establishing the district as a meaningful destination for both residents and visitors.

Brand concept diagram with three icons joined by plus signs: an anchor labeled 'History' with text about roots and foundation, a star labeled 'Future' with text about innovation and aspiration, and a circle labeled 'Community' with text about connection and inclusion.
Vintage black and white group photo of Navy recruits in dress white uniforms arranged in rows, with company flags reading '090' and 'US NTC San Diego,' and a sign reading '25 March 1970, Company 090, Company Commander Hunter, S.O., MMC.

A historic Naval base reborn, preserving its military history while creating a new public amenity for the community.

Learn More

What is Liberty Station
Grid of nine pages from the Liberty Station brand standards manual, showing color palettes, logo mark construction guidelines, campaign spreads reading 'Fall in Love Again' and 'Join the Movement,' photography and illustration mood boards, and business card and print collateral applications.
Wooden-handled rubber stamp beside its printed impression on paper, showing a circular anchor emblem with three stars and '1923' text.

Inspired by the site’s Naval history, the branding and signage feature clean, strong shapes and bold edges.

Navy blue pennant flag with a rope tie, printed in white with 'L,' an anchor emblem dated 1921, and 'S,' plus 'San Diego, California' text below.
Copper foil-stamped 'Liberty Station, San Diego, California' logo with an anchor and three stars emblem dated 1923, on a textured navy blue surface.
People walking dogs along a paved path beside the USS Recruit, a landlocked training ship hull painted gray with 'Recruit' lettering, palm trees and buildings in the background at golden hour.
Industrial-chic bar interior with exposed brick ceiling, a neon 'Cocktails' sign, shelves of liquor bottles framed by hanging greenery, and patrons seated at high-top tables and the bar, with an Elijah Craig whiskey barrel repurposed as a table in the foreground.
Spanish Colonial style covered walkway with terracotta-colored arches, hanging lantern lights, and decorative tile crest above the entrance, framed by tall cypress and shade trees.

Arts and culture anchor a mix of retail, nonprofit, education, residential, hotel, and office districts, shaping a richly layered destination.

Market

Mixed-Use Design
Orange 'Liberty Station' wayfinding pylon reading 'Arts District' with directional listings for Moment Bicycles, Stone Brewing, Shops & Galleries, Corvette Diner, Liberty Public Market, and SparkCycle, above a color-coded site map, set against green trees.
Woman holding a toddler pointing at a color-coded site map on a Liberty Station wayfinding pylon reading 'Arts District, Moment Bicycles, Stone Brewing, Shops & Galleries, Museums,' set on a sidewalk lined with trees and shrubs.
Man reading a large wall-mounted directory sign reading 'Arts District, Liberty Station, Experience Something Creative,' with a detailed color-coded map and categorized listings for arts, shops, dining, health, and venues, mounted on a terracotta building exterior.
Detailed color-coded map of Liberty Station's Arts District showing numbered buildings including Liberty Public Market, NTC Command Center, and Ingram Plaza, with a green park and boat channel to the right, an arts directory list below, and a 'Go forth and explore' heading.

The site features a variety of local eateries, artisan shops, and a vibrant public market with dozens of vendors.

Tall monument sign with a lattice pattern background and a circular anchor emblem with three stars and '1923,' featuring the hashtag '#explorelibertystation' below, set among landscaping with agave and shrubs.
Four-panel directional sign with corten steel posts reading 'Kid Ventures, Moment Bicycles, Public Market, Stone Brewing,' set among flowering shrubs and grasses in front of a Spanish Colonial style building with green-trimmed windows.
Close-up of a black wayfinding sign with the Liberty Station anchor and stars emblem cut out and lit with a green internal glow, positioned beside a wooden post and partial black sign reading 'TTA,' with teal-framed windows in the background.
Large vintage-postcard-style mural reading 'Greetings from US Naval Training Station,' with each large letter filled with photo scenes of the base including jets, a ship, Liberty Public Market, and historic buildings, beside a red utility box stamped with the anchor and stars emblem.
Row of pink stucco archways painted with black-and-white illustrated murals of figures and hearts, string lights overhead, a wayfinding sign for Artist Studios, Museums, and Shops & Cafes, as a woman walks toward a metal gate leading to a garden beyond.
Elevated view of an outdoor dining patio at dusk with string lights, stone tables, boulder-lined water features, and diners seated among trees, framed by Spanish Colonial buildings and a tree-lined lawn beyond.

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