Uffizi Galleries
CLIENT
The Uffizi Galleries
DATE
2017
CREDITS
Cantiere Creativo
Francesco Cusanno
Lorenzo Delmati
Frigo Studio
THE BRIEF
To define the visual identity of the Uffizi Galleries (a cultural establishment founded by ministerial decree in 2014), then to graphically adapt it to communicate the three museums composing it: Uffizi, the Pitti Palace and the Boboli gardens.
SOLUTION
To design and develop an identity system meant to be complete, componible and distinguishable, able to communicate the Uffizi galleries in its entirety, respecting the personalities of the single entities that compose the museum complex.
The Uffizi Galleries: where the sublime becomes a memorable experience
In the first phase of the project, we built a design thinking laboratory, able to define the values of the single locations, searching for common points upon which to create a contemporary and inclusive project, suited to the new dynamics of communication, flexible in its uses.
The identity of the Uffizi Galleries synthesizes in an open sign the confluence of three main references:
1. The vasarian arch, explicit homage to Florence’s Renaissance, a trait d’union between nature and art, between history and tomorrow.
2. The divine proportion or golden section, peak of mathematical properties that can be found in many natural and cultural contexts, symbol of balance and perfection.
3. The monogram, the base on which to build graphic marks of belonging and ownership. In art, the first one to use it extensively was Albrecht Dürer, diffusing it throughout Europe.
What was born was an open project, adaptable and suitable to build new emotions and stories, with the goal of creating inside the places of the Uffizi Galleries an experience visitors will want to share, to the discovery of awesome treasures and surprising tales.
A center of research and cultural innovation, made of three realities that work together harmoniously: Uffizi, Pitti Palace and Boboli gardens. A focus point where civilities, knowledge and human expressivity of yesterday, today and tomorrow are cherished.
Every one of the three realities has its own wordmark, created from a common font, unifying element of the identity system. A different chromatic code allows each individual part of the complex to express its personality and history.
“Why create a branding design for the Uffizi galleries? To respect, value and modernize our long history; to communicate everyday activities of the Galleries in an innovative, coherent, efficient way; to be more recognizable and distinctive; to encourage the desire to return. We did it for the pride, the passion and the potentiality that our past entrusted us, to reaffirm the pact with Florence, the territory, Italy and the world: to never stop.”
Eike Schmidt
