Housed in a Grade II listed former railway engine shed in Chalk Farm, the Roundhouse has emerged as one of London’s best-loved arts venues over the last five decades, known as much for hosting world-famous musicians as putting on theatre and spoken word events.
More recently, through its youth programme, the venue has also enabled fresh creative talent to take part in workshops, learn how to break into the industry, and use affordable studio spaces to make their own work.
2023 is set to be a big year for the institution, as it opens a new state-of-the-art creative centre and co-working space for young people. To mark this new direction, and following an initial pitch process, Studio Moross was commissioned to create a new visual identity in keeping with its work.
Reviewing the existing branding created by Magpie Studio, which featured a circular logo that nods to the venue’s instantly recognisable performance space and red brand colour, the design team decided to retain – and build on – these core elements.
“We developed the logo into a spotlight that can ignite colour in its surroundings, creating a hotspot. The colour palette was broadened with bright energetic colours, including an acidic lime, creating a neon clash and glow,” says the studio.
The new logo is rendered in the brand’s core typeface, OZIK by Nuform, and comes in three brand colours. “The typeface has a lot of character, it’s fun and contemporary with a dash of nostalgia … fitting for a youth-powered venue that’s over 170 years old,” the studio adds.
The first ever gig poster for the Roundhouse informed the team’s choice of OZIK. The font is also used in headlines to create a more youthful aesthetic, while a secondary typeface, Works Sans by Wei Huang, is used for body copy to allow for focus on the messaging.
Other key elements include adaptable photo treatments, which place cut-out subjects against flat, bold colours to unify images into the wider visual design, and dynamic gradients which extend the idea of light beaming onto content. A new website designed and developed by Glasgow-based After Digital will launch next year.
Graphic Design 