Studio8585’s identity for MVA is an elegant nod to the firm’s modernist architectural values

In line with the buildings MVA are responsible for, Studio8585's identity for the Zagreb-based architecture firm delicately reflects their thoughtful and rigorous explorations of scope, objects and topology through equally pragmatic and creative use of type and space. The identity is fundamentally sparse in its execution; in doing so allowing it to be minimal or content-heavy when required.

Referential to MVA’s own practice, the primarily monochromatic approach is dutifully interrupted by the dynamic use of a bright red-orange as the brand’s hero colour. “The spirited red-orange signifies MVA’s forward-looking approach,” Founder and Art Director Mario Depicolzuane tells us, “with a nod to the modernist movement, both in hue selection and its usage,” noting bricks as a secondary reference. “Bricks are a treasured material,” Depicolzuane adds, “valued for their timeless, versatility and ever-evolving nature, durability and style.”

This sense of style is further explored in the identity’s monolithic wordmark, which establishes not only an ownable form but an elegant brand pattern. The strength of the mark comes from Studio 8585’s choice of typeface, electing for Lineto’s Replica as the brand’s only typeface – the construction of which appropriately found its inspiration in 20th-century modernism.

“Equally motivated by MVA's values,” Depicolzuane explains, “we looked for a discrete level of expression or idiosyncrasy,” he adds, discussing the thought process behind choosing the typeface. “Replica was constructed on a strict grid to shape the individual characters,” Depicolzuane reveals. The rigour of Replica also allows it to be applied at all scales and applications, keeping a total consistency across the brand. “It is a typeface with all the features of a classic sans serif font of Middle-European descent but with a slightly refreshed DNA,” he concludes, “it can look neutral as it gets to smaller sizes, and in playful applications, its unique characteristics come to the front and centre.”

Studio8585

MVA