Harrison 
Design studio HATO has developed a brand identity for the Barbican and Golden Lane Neighbourhood Forum that takes inspiration from the area’s distinctive Brutalist architecture.
Based adjacent to the Barbican complex on the Golden Lane Estate, HATO designed the identity for the Barbican and Golden Lane Neighbourhood Forum (BGLNF) and also created a webpage for the forum featuring easy-to-follow photographs of the site’s architecture.
The forum was established in July 2023 to bring local residents together within the community and support its future development.
To create an identity that is specific to the local community and in line with the Forum’s values, the studio conceived the design with reference to the Brutalist architecture of the Barbican itself.
“We wanted to incorporate the architecture of both the Barbican and the Golden Lane Estate into the Forum’s identity,” Ken Kirton, creative director at HATO, told Design magazine.
“It’s a very rare opportunity to be able to design a regional forum that is so culturally rich, from history to architecture,” he added.
With its curvaceous shapes and bold, clean lines, the custom logotype was designed to visually represent and pay tribute to the geometric features of the Barbican’s architecture.
“There are really beautiful details and moments throughout the property that would go unnoticed by passersby,” Carton said.
In addition to the lettering, the design studio used a bright yellow, red and blue colour palette to form the identity and ensure consistency across the brand.
Kirton explained that the colour choices were also influenced by the Barbican’s architecture, with the colour palette taken from coloured panels on the buildings on the site.
Archive photographs of the Barbican, selected by the studio to celebrate local heritage, are also featured on the BGLNF webpage.
“Historical imagery allows us to show a lens and perspective of a time that can’t be replicated,” Carton said.
Designing the brand identity was an opportunity for the studio, a founding member of the forum, to highlight its roots within the community.
“We moved our studio to the site a year and a half ago, and going from being visitors to being community members in the space has really changed how we view the site and the architecture,” Carton said.
“Although the forum is still in its early stages, the participants are all critical thinkers and practitioners with important perspectives on urban development and the importance of culture and community.”
HATO hopes that the branding of the Forum will capture that ethos and encourage continued participation from the local community.
“We want the community to maintain a represented voice within London city and for this to be recognised as a strong visual feature applied across the estate, one that feels as if it is emanating from the walls, floors and ceilings of the building,” Mr Kirton said.
HATO is based in London and Hong Kong and operates in many areas beyond studio work, including as an independent publishing house and concept store.
Other branding projects featured on Dezeen include Herman Miller’s rebranding with Order and the brand identity for The Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity with Manual.
