Iconic Buildings Become Iconic Brands

RATIO has had the good fortune to work on several projects in Indianapolis that, over time, have become city landmarks. Our firm has always advocated for designs that tell stories – sometimes of the activities going on inside.

That’s why we love it when a building’s design is so representative of a company that it becomes the company’s brand. For example, the when RATIO completed the design of the Indiana State Museum in 2002, it wasn’t long after that a simplified version of the front façade was adapted as the museum’s logo.

More recently, RATIO designed a new Welcome Center for the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. The main design element of this addition is a parent dinosaur lifting the roof so that its baby can get inside to join in the museum fun. These larger-than-life sculptures instantly became another icon on the museum’s campus.

The Children’s Museum is currently in the process of implementing a new logo that echoes the raised roof of the Welcome Center. It will replace a logo that has represented the museum’s brand for the past 15 years.

RATIO’s buildings are not the only ones influencing a company’s logo design. Although construction is not yet complete, The Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel, Indiana, designed by David M. Schwarz Architects and Artec Consultants, is already embodying the structure’s signature design within their brand. A beautifully composed logo was created that speaks to the power of performance as well as the significant architectural history of the facility itself.

I’ve blogged before about the challenge of creating logos. I stand by my earlier post: it’s one of most challenging tasks graphic designers face. But to use the building’s architecture as inspiration makes sense – it’s kind of like naming the proverbial white elephant in the room – but in a good way.

Admittedly, these are just three examples of building designs that influence logo design – I know there are more throughout the country. Where have you seen a logo that references a building’s architecture? Leave me a comment below and let me know where to look next.

Tags: Artec Consultants, David M. Schwarz Architects, iconic brands, iconic buildings, Indiana State Museum, logo design, The Children's Museum of Indianapolis Welcome Center, The Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts

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