Gammel Strand

Gammel Strand is a contemporary art institution located in a historic 18th-century building in central Copenhagen. Through 2024, Studio C was commissioned by Gammel Strand to develop a visual identity to establish a new era for the organisation alongside a modernised name, progressive exhibition program, and architectural renovation.

The identity mirrors the dichotomy of a historic space as a home for modern art, pairing architectural personality with a contemporary edge in an aesthetic coined ‘aristocratic punk’. Condensed serif letters form a logo system that frames every brand asset, acting as a recognisable emblem for the organisation on the streets of the city.

Gammel Strand’s waterside location inspired an approach to 3D animations that explores the molecular states of water as a metaphor for flux and change. In their launch year, the brand’s initials were activated as rotating blocks of ice, offering a tactility and contrast to a restrained monochrome typographic system.

We created a flexible toolkit of elements that rationalise the system whilst allowing enough freedom for the playfulness of the institution’s communications to respond to the changing roster of exhibitions.