Work Archive
Art Container Zurich

Translating roughness into sensitivity for an industrial art space

The Art Container is an independent art space in Zurich hosting exhibitions, performances and workshops at regular intervals. It focuses on contemporary arts and consists of two shipping containers which relocate from time to time. The management approached us in need of a cohesive visual identity. To embody the space’s industrial character with refined sensitivity, we transferred its roughness into a thoughtful treatment of typography and layout. The resulting visual identity with its defining blank areas builds a playful but sober metaphor for the art space’s heritage and its function in the present.

Typeface Zurich
Skala_Art Container Zurich_3
Skala_Art Container Zurich_3
Skala_Art Container Zurich_3

The logo is based on the proportions of the containers’ side profiles. Inspired by the thin vertical sections dividing the container walls, the lines of the logo strengthen this reference. The typeface’s name ‘Zurich’ hints at the tension between the globalization and the importance of local anchoring. Its condensed cut is chosen in reminiscence of shipping industry letterings. Stationery layouts are informed by the logo’s bold shape and typographic principles. Placing it at the top of each layout, an open space is created which demands attention.
Skala_Art Container Zurich_3
Skala_Art Container Zurich_3

By translating harsh forms and mechanical gestures into sensitive applications of type and space, the visual identity provides the Art Container with a significant, reputable and fresh appearance.

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