The Douglas Hyde

A gallery in essence is an architectural space, so it’s with good reason that a gallery’s branding so often springs from different aspects of its architectural features.

The concrete ceiling of The Douglas Hyde Gallery and the Trinity Arts Block became the catalyst for the logo and subsequently the brand identity. In contrast to the harsh material quality of the concrete, the square cells with its rounded corners and curved edges that make up the ceiling ‘feel’ surprisingly soft and remind us that the concrete once was a slow-flowing liquid poured into moulds. The rounded shape of the ceiling cells create a tension between sharpness and smoothness and of the negative and positive space.

Through deconstructing and multiplying the mark and re-assembling the fragments of the original form, we developed a dynamic and modular system of symbols, icons and framing devices. The display typeface echoes that same tension between sharpness and smoothness whilst being high in contrast, legibility and character. Wanting to avoid the white cube aesthetic the colour scheme is led by a ‘muted’ charcoal black and warm off white that can be combined with the warm colours that compliments the grey concrete.

The identity design for The Douglas Hyde involved extensive brand applications including a range of gallery documents, business cards, lanyards, signage, billboards, window vinyls, tote bags and the website.