The Guggenheim Rebrand
Print/Brand Communications
Print/Brand Communications
Print/Brand Communications
Print/Brand Communications
Print/Brand Communications
Print/Brand Communications
Print/Brand Communications
Print/Brand Communications
Print/Brand Communications
Designer(s)
Meagan Malixi
Duration
0 Weeks
Recognitions
Challenge
The Guggenheim Museums & Foundation is a non-profit modern and contemporary art organization with four locations in New York, Venice, Bilbao, and Abu Dhabi. While the current logo of the Guggenheim Museums & Foundation is strong in its simplicity and memorability, I find that it lacks the individuality and memorability of the museums themselves. Furthermore, there is a need for a fluid and unified identity among the museum locations across the globe. Thus, the design challenge is: “How might we re-frame the Guggenheim brand in a fluid identity to unify the four museum locations, express a modern yet timeless visual language, and be inclusive of younger audiences?”
Solution
My approach is to create a fluid brand identity that takes inspiration from the memorable architecture of the Guggenheim museums and the contemporary art collections within them. The proposed logo maintains both modernity and traditionality by revitalizing the use of Verlag (a sans serif typeface by Jonathan Hoefler which pays homage to the original signage of the Solomon R. Guggenheim). It creates a circular wordmark around the icon and introduces a unique ‘G’ symbol. The curves of the symbol uplift the ‘G’ to a height of modernity and innovation. These curves are inspired by the distinct architecture of the original Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York.
Fluid Elements
The fluid elements draw upon the distinct architecture of the four Guggenheim locations. To celebrate the diversity of the organization, it is important to create four distinct shapes that work cohesively, just like the Guggenheim museums themselves. The fluid patterns used across the brand applications are inspired by four art movements seen within the Guggenheims’ collections: Surrealism, Expressionism, Pop Art, and Impressionism. The artistic fluid elements, expressive typography, and contemporary colour palette aim to unify the brand's identity across all Guggenheim museums.
