Musée LaM identity

The LaM is the first museum to bring together three collections: modern art, contemporary art and outsider art (art brut) in one place. It questions art history, offers perspectives that allow new off-track investigations, and encourages dialogue between works and periods. Through more than 7,000 works, it provides an exceptional panorama of the art of the 20th and 21st centuries. The compartmentalisation of categories is replaced by a fruitful perspective. The museum, located in a park, is open to the surrounding nature, where the collection continues to be displayed. In 2022 the baldinger•vu-huu studio won the competition to redesign the visual identity and signage of the LaM museum located in Villeneuve d’Ascq, France.

A cultural institution such as the LaM must be identified by the typeface with which it communicates, which is why it is a key element in this project. It carries the DNA of the graphic concept. b•v-h type proposes a singular typography that reflects the museum’s openness, the contemporary and original aspects while being strongly identifiable.

As a companion to BVH Eddi, the accompanying typeface, the identity typeface – BVH Eddi Line – is a custom refined outlined version of Eddi, allowing for openings that welcome content, and allowing the eye to wander in and out of the letters. This title typeface works perfectly with the BVH Eddi as it takes on its height, characteristics, silhouette and proportions.

The typeface consists of two parts: a black outline, and a solid part that can either take on different colors or remain blank. The outline style allows text to be composed over images while remaining readible and standing out from the background. When used without an interior colour, the outline version creates a vibration that attracts the eye and sets a particular pace.

A special pastille has been designed for the 40th anniversary of the LaM. The star-shaped sign represents the intersection, meeting, and festive moment that this anniversary means. This graphic element, used as an emblem, also represents openness and influence on the territory and can be adapted in a playful way to different formats.