Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA), Beijing

The Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA) is a not-for-profit art center serving both Beijing and a global audience. UCCA is a pioneering institution, at the heart of the cultural 798 Art District, featuring a wide range of exhibitions and programming.

BMD was asked to redesign the UCCA visual identity in conjunction with a new entrance design by FCJZ Architects. Insights around the growing nature of public art in China and UCCA’s role manifested during the research phase, leading the team to design an identity that is at once structured and fluid. The goal of the identity is two-fold: first, to position the UCCA as leading art institution, and second, to mark the gallery as an active art space. The letterforms are singular and structured when the logo is ‘at rest’, but elastic and expandable when used in frame artwork.

Metric is the primary typeface. The constructed sans serif compliments the geometric forms of the dynamic word-mark. [Editor’s note: The typeface used for Chinese texts is yet unidentified.]