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Poppy Thaxter8 identities for buildings and developments, with work from Vanderbrand, Campbell Hay and more
Architects rejoice, it’s your time to shine. Having covered the vast markets and industries within the branding world, we felt it appropriate to zoom out and focus on the macro – the big bold world of branding buildings. Spanning residential and retail spaces, we have collated projects by High Tide, Mubien, Vanderbrand, Studio Brave, and more.
Located in the Canadian town of Mississauga, Heartland Town Centre could be described as a behemoth of a shopping centre, housing over 190 storefronts – restaurants, boutiques, homeware stores, and more. Still, with plans for further development and expansion, the management team reached out to Toronto-based creative agency Vanderbrand to design a rebrand with the intention of creating a catalyst of growth in the local area, as well as for the brand itself. Armed with a bold colour palette and typographic system, they introduced a revitalising new look that mirrors the scale, energy and impact of the well-known Canadian mall.
Originally built in 1962 and reimagined for 2022, the refurbished modernist office building The Sans provides a flexible workspace, driven by core values of democracy, accessibility and sustainability. For its flexible identity system, London-based brand consultancy Campbell Hay found inspiration in the heritage, material qualities, and architecture of the high-profile building. The visual language champions the modernist theme to its limit – perfectly encapsulated in the name, which itself is a reference to the ‘less is more’ aesthetic and sans serif typefaces associated with the mid-century era. However, rather than mimic the minimalist perfectionism of corporate design from that time, Campbell Hay have given modernist features a contemporary twist, drawing upon the narrative of the building as a guideline.
Covering everything from creative direction, design, print and photography to collateral materials, production and art direction, international creative practice Studio8585’s identity for Hong Kong-based residential project The Pavilia Farm is comprehensive, to say the least. The final result, however, is effortless in its execution, balancing the multiple touchpoints consistently and with quiet aesthetic ease. Reflecting, embracing and building upon The Pavilia Farm’s three lifestyle pillars – ‘Wellness and Sustainability,’ ‘Innovation and Creation,’ and ‘Design and Architecture’ – Studio8585 channelled an ambient and humble approach, championing the natural world at every turn whilst also cementing its place in the contemporary residential scene. This harmony comes dutifully at the hands of its typographic and illustration combinations, leading with tailored lettering, denoting the brand’s philosophy from the get-go.
The Pavilia Farm by Studio8585
Back when we first posted it back in January 2020, 25 Kent was the largest commercial building in Williamsburg, New York. It was designed by Hollwich Kushner and Gensler as an irregularly stacked office block with a brick facade that echoes the factories and warehouses of its surrounding location. Everything one might need to live, work and play in the modern world – workspaces, floor-to-ceiling windows, retail shops and cafés – are all packed under one colossal roof. The developers behind the project, JLL and Rubenstein Partners, commissioned local studio High Tide to create the brand for 25 Kent from the ground up, including the visual language, website, photo and video shoots, and social media. The centrepiece of their solution is the ‘25’ icon, which uses symmetry and consistent forms to represent the block-like nature of the building. The custom wordmark also references the tiers of the architecture through a series of straight 90-degree angles within the letterforms.
Located in Boston, Massachusetts, the Fenway Center is a state-of-the-art building project consisting of extensive laboratory, office and retail spaces, as well as public pathways and amenities. Initiated to repair the divide in the public realm caused by the Massachusetts Turnpike (Mass Pike) toll highway, the development is being built on a special podium next to the Boston Red Sox’s iconic Fenway Park stadium; also the inspiration for its name.
Commissioned to create the Fenway Center’s identity amid its planning and construction, Santander and California-based design agency Mubien sought inspiration from the building itself and its place in the city. From the green coming directly from the building (as well as the iconic 37-foot left-field wall of the Red Sox’s stadium), to the orange extracted from the emblematic red bricks of Boston. An integral part of the Fenway Center’s identity system is the ‘FC’ monogram, for which Mubien once again pulled inspiration from the Boston Red Sox; using their pointed pennant’s triangular form as a starting point.
Instigated by Australian property developer Toga Group, Oxford & Foley is the reimagining of Sydney’s Oxford Street; bringing the renowned street together with the parallel Foley Street to form an architecturally designed package of commercial, retail and boutique hotel spaces. Working under the leadership of Creative Director Alex Toohey, multi-city design agency Houston Group took on the job of branding the development; choosing to bring vibrance and typographic intensity to the table to reflect the precinct’s character whilst avoiding the typical visual cues of property identities. In reference to the parallel streets the development sits upon, Houston Group’s solution plays on a theme of contrast. The primary application of which is Oxford & Foley’s wordmark, which is set in the Expanded style of Schick Toikka’s Lyyra and presented in mirrored vertical and horizontal layouts.
Oxford & Foley by Houston Group
From the collaboration between Studio Gana and Slate Asset Management, comes the visionary building One Delisle, a tranquil urban building located at downtown Toronto’s Yonge and St. Clair. In need of a comprehensive identity to match the elegance of the property while making reference to the surrounding area, Toronto-based design studio Vanderbrand came on board. Much like the building itself, the project is collaborative at its core, with Berlin-based creative writer Rosie Flanagan crafting a narrative tale to accompany the residential tower’s launch, as well as Letters from Sweden developing a custom headline typeface for the identity.
Melbourne-based design practice Studio Brave elegantly crafted the identity for Surrey Hills residential project Three Norfolk, a collection of properties sat within – and inspired by – the natural landscape, picturesque scenery and abundance of greenery. They opted for an editorial approach, showcasing the beauty of Surrey Gardens with a series of photographs taken by Gavin Green, capturing the foliage as it transitioned through the seasons. The rest of the brand elements reinforce the sophisticated and stately nature of the development, thanks to a powerful trio of typefaces and serene use of colour.
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