hat trick design: horniman museum and gardens identity

‘horniman museum and gardens’ by hat-trick

hat-trick design recently updated the identity scheme for the horniman museum and gardens, london.

— following text provided by hat-trick design

this project follows on from our museum rebrands for the imperial war museum, national museums scotland and natural history museum.

the horniman museum and gardens, london houses internationally important collections of anthropology and musical instruments, as well as an acclaimed aquarium and natural history collection. most museums aim to divide things into categories; here everything comes promiscuously together, human and natural, living and dead.

originally founded in 1901, it was the creation of frederick horniman, victorian tea trader

and voracious collector of almost anything. a 2.3 million pound (GBP) redevelopment of the gardens, which re-opened this week, was planned to help fulfil his idea that the museum and gardens are for ‘pleasure and education’.

the brief we were given was to create a new brand that reflects the new unified offer of the renowned museum collections and the beautiful gardens.

the idea of a ‘collection of collections’ was our starting point for the identity. we took the idea of a bracket device and reflected it to create the distinctive } { mark.

this gives a very flexible device to present the variety of the collections and the many different facets of the organisation. it can be used both with imagery and editorially.

the new identity uses a simple black and white core colour palette, complemented by a range of fresh, bright of colours inspired by the objects in the collections.

we were also involved in the design of all wayfinding and external signage around the grounds including interpretation signs and maps. this helps highlight connections made with exhibits inside the museum – the reeds in clarinets or the plants used to colour tribal dress.

the design and planning of the redeveloped gardens was overseen by land use consultants, with the new pavilion designed by architects walters and cohen. which is a lovely addition to the existing buildings.

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