Archinect - News

Herman Miller debuts new modernist rebrand for 2024

2024-01-04T17:10:00-05:00

Herman Miller is heading into the new year with a changed branding identity inspired by its namesake founder’s 1960s-era experimentations with the Helvetica typeface, delivered by the Brooklyn-based design agency Order.

The move comes a year after Herman Miller’s 100th anniversary was celebrated with special exhibitions, a retrospective publication, and other programming. The prolific furniture maker’s signature ‘M’ logographic design from Irving Harper was preserved in the rebrand. The company says it is hopeful the refresh will help guide its next century of creative excellence.

“The last brand identity served Herman Miller well for 25 years, but that system predated many of the touchpoints we now have with the Herman Miller customer,” Herman Miller Creative Director Kelsey Keith recently detailed in It’s Nice That. “What we needed was an evolution of the brand, and a complete design system, one that could flex from a mobile phone screen to a physical space and everywhere in betwe...

Pentagram utilizes architectural forms to create a new visual identity for the Memphis Art Museum

2023-11-02T20:04:00-04:00

Pentagram has released materials showcasing their new visual identity project undertaken for their clients at the Memphis Art Museum (formerly the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art) ahead of the completion of its Herzog & de Meuron-led expansion in 2025.

The lettering and logo included in the kit derive from cross-section drawings of the new 122,000-square-foot building, which will grace the center of downtown at Overton Park. The expanded museum also forms the anchor of a wider riverfront development master plan that will reorient the commercial/cultural district. Costs for the expansion have been reported around $180 million.

“We have worked with the greater Memphis community for years on our vision for a new museum, and as it begins to take shape, we are proud to see that it will be a place for community and connectivity unlike anything in our city’s history,” the museum's board president, Carl Person, told the Memphis Flyer newspaper recently about the institutional pivot. “It is tru...

Harvard GSD details its new visual identity

2023-08-25T13:01:00-04:00

The Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD) this week announced a new visual identity created in order to help galvanize its institutional and pedagogical aims, claiming it needed an "updated language of forms to communicate the school’s mission and values."

The rebranding effort comes in response to Dean Sarah M. Whiting’s previous call for the GSD community to establish a dialogue with the general public in a way that can embody the "critical design thinking" at the core of its educational program.

The new logo offers a further demarcation from the standard university crest-based designs used by Harvard’s other schools and undergraduate residential houses, embracing the 'Flying H' design invented by alum Nigel Smith into the GSD's graphics system to mark the turn of the 21st century.

Image courtesy Harvard GSD

The expressionistic form of John Andrews’ distinct Gund Hall building is a further source of inspiration for the new GSD Gothic typeface, which was the brainchild of the sc...

Pentagram designs new visual identity for Tulane School of Architecture

2022-02-24T09:00:00-05:00

This post is brought to you by Tulane School of Architecture

Creating a strong and impactful visual identity for brands and companies is essential. This follows suit for institutions and academic departments. Tulane School of Architecture recently announced its partnership with renowned design firm Pentagram and unveiled its reimagined visual identity. Together, Tulane and Pentagram created a "new suite of branded materials and an entirely redesigned website."

According to Tulane, the school is entering a "new era of educating future professionals in the built environment on the importance of navigating humans' relationship with water and supporting local communities in a wide range of design challenges." With this in mind, the visual rebranding also aimed to cultivate discourse in how the school addresses "pressing environmental, social, and economic challenges."

Video courtesy of Tulane University School of Architecture.

The Pentagram design team brought an impressive level of e...

Autodesk's new look has the architecture and design community talking

2021-09-12T09:00:00-04:00

A strong visual identity is essential to propelling a company's product, service, and overall brand. However, when it comes to logo designs in architecture, for example, the design's overall look on top of its size, type, and color choice can spark polarizing responses from the community. While not everyone is a trained graphic designer whose expertise and critical analysis of a logo goes beyond the general public, everyone has an opinion on whether a logo satisfies their perspective of the company or goes against what "they" envision.

A while back Archinect conducted a special feature reflecting and reviewing new logos from 10 of the most followed firm profiles on Archinect. During this review, the Archinect team collaborated with Armin Vit, co-founder of the graphic design firm UnderConstruction. Vit, a seasoned graphic designer, and writer lent his knowledge and provided expert analysis on logos from firms like OMA, Snøhetta, BIG, Gensler, and Zaha Hadid Architects, to name a fe...

Snøhetta to develop a new visual identity for the Wikimedia Foundation

2020-01-17T15:46:00-05:00

The Wikimedia Foundation has partnered with Snøhetta to create a new visual identity. The collaboration will examine how strategic branding and digital design can influence engagement and promote cross-cultural knowledge sharing.

Snøhetta & Wikimedia Foundation Branding Partnership

“Snøhetta has a long-standing commitment to developing socially sustainable design solutions that promote a sense of collective ownership and engagement with civic life. We chose Snøhetta as our strategic design partner for their demonstrated ability to develop strong, visual brand identities that transcend geographical boarders and bring people together. Snøhetta’s commitment to working creatively, openly, and together was the perfect fit for the project, and we’re thrilled to be working with them”, said Heather Walls, Chief Creative Officer of the Wikimedia Foundation in a statement.

As the nonprofit that operates Wikipedia, one of the world's largest website, the Wikimedia Foundation's aim is to furth...

How should cities brand themselves? A new initiative in Helsinki challenges this idea

2019-09-30T23:00:00-04:00

Is a city a brand? Recently in Helsenki a new marketing campaign has launched positioning the Finnish capital a "City as Service" or CaaS. According to this new "digital lifestyle subscription service" the aim for the initiative is to attract highly skilled tech professionals to the city.

According to their website CaaS is "an an all-inclusive service bundle that unlocks the entire city. This platform-to-be is on a mission to motivate, guide and help international tech talent feel at home in Helsinki." Positioning the mayor of Helsinki as a "CEO" their website provides a fascinating video highlighting what the city as to offer, in addition to a "free life-changing demo experience that everyone can apply to.

Those chosen to participate in the program will win a three-day trip to Helsinki in November and attend Slush, the "world's leading tech event."

What are your thoughts on this city branding idea? In an era where digital marketing is considered a must-have for businesses to gr...

Bing Thom Architects renamed as Revery Architecture

2017-12-26T13:12:00-05:00

“The new name, Revery Architecture, reflects the firm’s enduring vision to strive for exceptional design, whilst paying homage to Bing who instilled in us all the courage to dream big.”

Following the sudden passing of founder Bing Thom last year, the esteemed Canadian architect's namesake firm has been going through some big changes. On December 18, the firm officially rebranded themselves as Revery Architecture.

The firm wrote in a statement:

“The studio has gone through many transformations over its 35-year history. Some changes have been subtle while others more pronounced, but all share the same objective of strengthening our core values and the passion we have for design excellence. With the passing of our firm’s founder Bing Thom in 2016, the past year has been one of necessary evolution and transformation at the firm. The new name, Revery Architecture, reflects the firm’s enduring vision to strive for exceptional design, whilst paying homage to Bing who instilled in us all the courage to dream big...”

Their Vancouver and Hong Kong offices already have a busy 2018 in tow, including the opening of two new educational buildings, the start of construction of Van...

Creating Brand Recognition with 3A Composites USA's Corporate ID Programs

2017-04-10T09:00:00-04:00

This post is brought to you by 3A Composites USA

Every company wants to establish a brand on a local, regional, national or even international level. A company strives for an image that is recognizable by potential customers no matter where they are in the world. In fact, the first face-to-face interaction with a customer might be at a company’s own location. This initial impression can make or break the customer’s willingness to spend their money. Maintaining a well-loved and respected brand appearance is imperative to a company’s success. This is where 3A Composites USA’s Corporate Identity programs fit in.

When starting the design phase, a company must choose which colors and materials will fit their desired image. This can be a daunting process due to all of the available materials and the look these materials can potentially convey. To simplify this process, 3A Composites USA has focused on working closely with architects and designers to aid companies in their selections both i...

In Tokyo, Brand-Name Stores by Brand-Name Architects

2016-03-14T01:03:00-04:00

Many local architects complain that these high-end follies are not serious architecture, but gimmicky flash. In many cases they are right. But that’s O.K. Form, as any architect will learn, follows function. In this case it’s selling a name and a mystique.

Sam Lubell visited Tokyo for some "architectural shopping", taking in the works of many architecture stars (including Herzog and De Meuron, Toyo Ito, Sanaa and MVRDV), for global luxury brands. Thus the requisite trips to sites in Omotesando and Ginza.

If you were looking for "spectacular, game of architectural one–upmanship" in Tokyo where would you visit? Over at Google Map Tour Guide Central (an old feature from 2007), Ludwig Abache offered-up a "version of 'ICON's Magazine Architectural Trail' Aoyama and Harakuju."

Introducing Open Architecture Collaborative, the rebranded offshoot of Architecture for Humanity affiliates

2016-03-10T06:00:00-05:00

After Architecture for Humanity closed in 2015, affiliate Chapter Network took its place, appointing Garrett Jacobs as its leader (with whom Archinect had the opportunity to speak with on its podcast). Now, the Chapter Network organization is formally rebranding itself as the Open Architecture Collaborative (OAC), and after they formalize their bylaws, they will apply to become a 501(c)3 organization. The OAC's twin goals are to help younger design professionals get field experience while also providing greater access to design services for marginalized communities.

In a press release, Jacobs said that “The OAC’s launch shows that our process works. This past year we turned participatory design on ourselves to create this organization. There are hundreds of people who experienced this process and now feel an incredible sense of ownership over this name and this brand. Imagine what our places would be like if everyone felt as proud in their creation and change. We are working to ma...

Naming names: how do architecture firms choose what to call themselves?

2016-03-02T14:12:00-05:00

Unlike industries such as automotive, which spend big bucks hiring branding and naming experts, architects often name themselves – sometimes on the fly. There’s the story about ARO (Architecture Research Office) in New York. The name is generic, but what can you expect from the partners who named themselves on the way to a meeting, said Christian Unverzagt, design director at Detroit-based M1/DTW, a multidisciplinary studio specializing in design.

Architects spend years designing a single project, so it may come as a surprise that they sometimes name themselves in only a few minutes. While some firms have chosen a more clever approach to naming—Design, Bitches and BIG (with web address BIG.dk) spring to mind—many firms seem to choose from the oblique vowel-less bin, sounding less like design entities and more like grim governmental agencies. Many of them just cut to the chase:

What's the ideal architectural name? A while back, Archinect's forum commentors took a crack at naming:

Daydreaming: Your studio/firm name?

LA 2024 plays up a sunny disposition in their logo for the Olympic bid

2016-02-17T19:13:00-05:00

'Every day people follow the sun to our city in pursuit of their dreams,' bid committee chairman Casey Wasserman said in a statement, adding: 'We're inviting the world to follow the sun to California in 2024.' The Olympic movement takes such things seriously. In the past, millions of dollars have been spent on the design of emblems and the often-ridiculed mascots.

You can read LA 2024's full press statement about the logo's unveiling here, and watch the promotional video below.

Editor's Picks #437

2015-12-16T11:51:00-05:00

Nicholas Korody penned a double review; of 'The Geological Imagination' and 'The Underdome Guide to Energy Reform'. He finds "The two books also help illuminate some of the difficulties in perceiving climate change, while offering some potentials for movement" and goes on to reference "enmeshment", systems thinking and dark ecology.

Plus, Robert Urquhart took stock of how The Bartlett and the Architectural Association are "bringing emerging technologies into the UK's architecture education".

News
Denise Scott Brown, along with her husband Robert Venturi, have won the 2016 AIA Gold Medal. Snubbed of the 1991 Pritzker Prize when Venturi was named as the only laureate, Scott Brown is the second female recipient of the Gold Medal.

In honor of the happy and historic occasion, Denise Scott Brown appeared on Archinect Sessions #45.

To DWLindeman it "is splendid good news, and a long overdue award...Robert Venturi was right to say to the AIA ‘not without Denise.’ This is also a very significan...

Callison and RTKL merge in hopes to "bring swagger back" to Seattle office, CEO says

2015-10-20T20:06:00-04:00

On Tuesday, Callison and architecture/engineering firm RTKL announced they have officially joined forces as CallisonRTKL...[CEO Lance] Josal said the merger is good news for both firms and 'especially for the Seattle office.' In talking to the firm's senior leaders, Josal said there has been 'a little bit of frustration on their part' because they felt the firm 'may have lost a bit of swagger locally' and wanted an owner that would invest in the firm...

Previously on Archinect:

ARCADIS to buy Callison

Architecture for Humanity begins crowdsourced rebranding campaign

2015-09-04T15:33:00-04:00

Nine months after abruptly shutting down and filing for bankruptcy, Architecture for Humanity has begun a campaign in efforts to rebrand itself as a "collectively defined, collaboratively run, and inclusive" non-profit. Launched Tuesday, the AFH Chapter Network is gathering opinions and ideas worldwide in the form of video responses in a short survey until September 8. Participants will answer questions on how the new AFH should restructure its mission, value, and goals.

Once the responses are collected, the AFH Network will search for key findings alongside brand strategists at Skyrocket Digital and then work towards finding a new name for the organization.

The AFH Network posted their reasons for rebranding in a generalized list on WordPress:

A few reasons why we’re looking for a new name: We are a new organization: While the mission remains similar, we are focused on consensus building, professional development, and support for local groups to develop innovative business models w...

Seeking identity through city fonts

2015-01-20T13:53:00-05:00

Decimated by manufacturing losses, some smaller cities are turning for help to an unlikely group of people: typeface designers. Can new fonts really breathe life into the postindustrial city? [...] Type has a lot of effect on the atmosphere of a place, he says, calling it “the voice of the city”: “I think cities that don’t have this very dynamic energy, they don’t feel the need to change their identity.”

COBE to design Adidas’ Meet & Eat in Germany

2014-12-16T14:12:00-05:00

Sports brand giant Adidas recently selected the COBE-led consortium to design the Adidas "Meet & Eat", a new public conference center at the Adidas Group's World of Sports headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany...The 11,000 m2 building has an open, clean design that complements and embraces its natural surrounding landscape. Aside the hints of Adidas' insignia through the interior, the "striped" pattern of the roof also seems to subtly nod to the brand's triple-stripe mark.

Rem Koolhaas's G-Star Raw HQ is like 'two brands having unprotected sex'

2014-03-27T13:42:00-04:00

“We've never been this vulgar,” says the practice's founding partner Rem Koolhaas, sitting in the building's boardroom, flanked either side by neat men in military denim jackets, like officers from some future fashion police. [...] brazenly conflating G-Star's brand values with their own, aligning their manifestos, house styles, ways of working and even presenting a shared aesthetic of raw industrial chic – with concrete and steel fragments of OMA buildings overlaid on to G-Star models.

The Architectural History of Pepsi-Cola, Part 1: The 'Mad Men' Years

2013-09-11T13:58:00-04:00

When the Pepsi Headquarters was built in 1960, the 13-story building at the corner of Park Avenue and 59th Street exemplified the International Style in America. Moreover, it pushed the limits of what was technically possible; its nine-feet-high by thirteen-feet-long glass panes were the largest that could be created and only a half-inch thick. To avoid using heavy mullions or frames the glass was cushioned by neoprene glazing strips, allowing an almost completely flush exterior surface.

University of California reveals new logo, public collectively barfs

2012-12-10T18:32:00-05:00

Creators of an online petition opposed to the change say the new logo "loses the prestige and elegance of the current seal." They want the 10-campus system to use the traditional circular medallion that shows an open book, the motto “Let There Be Light” and the 1868 date of UC’s founding. Or find a dignified alternative. The petition had more than 39,000 supporters so far.

UC's brand guidelines can be found here.