Branding and Architectural spaces

Brand Identity

The definition of brand identity is the visible elements of a brand, such as colours, design, logotype, name, symbol that together identify and distinguish the brand in the consumers' mind.

Example 1 - Coca Cola


I believe this is an extremely strong example of brand identity as it's a logo that can be easily recognised world-wide. Simplicity is the key with this logo as it's not over complicated and sticks in the consumers' minds. With the logo only being made up of two main colours it makes the visual more bold and striking, the white typography immediately grabs your attention. The typography also has a very 1920's look about it which shows it hasn't changed too drastically over the years and the brand has remained proud and stayed true to it's roots. For me, the bright red used in the logo could simply be used to represent love. This is such a sucessful logo that it doesn't even need any imagery of the product, as soon as you see it you just know it's the logo for the coca cola drink as it's such a well known and trusted brand.

Example 2 - Nike

This second brand logo is also extremely sucessful in that it is also easily recognisable world-wide. This is a really simple logo that doesn't even need the brand name to accompany it in order for consumers to know what it is. The tick is extremely easy to recognise as it's such a unique logo. It seems so far that the more simple, uncomplicated logos seem to be the most sucessful in that they are more likely to stick in the consumers' minds. The tick doesn't even need to be in a bright colour as the tick alone is bold and striking enough. As soon as a consumer sees the Nike logo on a product they feel they can trust the product as the Nike brand is highly respected as it's grown to gain a very good reputation.

Example 3 - Converse

This brand logo has a bit more to it than the other two logos previously looked at, however I personally think it's just as sucessful. Like with the Coca Cola logo, Converse has stayed true to it's roots with the original logo from when they first started out. The use of blue, red and white is used in this logo as they are the colours of the American flag, and Converse originated from America. The first thing you notice when looking at this logo is the huge star in the middle of it, which grabs the consumers' attention and makes them feel that they too could be stars if they wear the Converse brand. The Chuck Taylor signature makes the logo more personal and shows originality.

Architectural Spaces

Pompidou Centre, Paris

The Pompidou Centre was thought up by President Georges Pompidou who wanted to create an original cultural institution in the heart of Paris completely focused on modern and contemporary creation, where the visual arts would rub shoulders with theatre, music, cinema, literature and the spoken word. Housed in the centre of Paris in a building designed by Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers, whose architecture symbolises the spirit of the 20th century, the Centre Pompidou first opened its doors to the public in 1977. 

The Tate Modern

Tate Modern was created in the year 2000 to display the national collection of international modern art (defined as art since 1900). By about 1990 it was clear that the Tate Collection had hugely outgrown the original Tate Gallery on Millbank. It was decided to create a new gallery in London to display the international modern component of the Tate Collection. For the first time London would have a dedicated museum of modern art. At the same time, the Tate building on Millbank would neatly revert to its original intended function as the national gallery of British art.

An immediate problem was whether the modern art gallery should be a new building or a conversion of an existing building, if a suitable one could be found. As a result of extensive consultations, particularly with artists, it was decided to search for a building to convert. When the building that is now Tate Modern presented itself, it appeared something of a miracle. It was a former power station that had closed in 1982, so it was available. It was a very striking and distinguished building in its own right, by the architect Sir Giles Gilbert Scott. Not least, it was in an amazing location on the south bank of the River Thames opposite St Paul's Cathedral and the City of London. Plans were almost immediately formulated to build a footbridge to link the new gallery to the City. The fact that the original Tate Gallery was also on the river made a satisfactory symmetry, and meant that the two could be linked by a riverboat service.

An international architectural competition was held attracting entries from practices all over the world. The final choice was Herzog and De Meuron, a relatively small and then little known Swiss firm. A key factor in this choice was that their proposal retained much of the essential character of the building. One of the shortlisted architects had, for example, proposed demolishing the splendid ninety-nine metre high chimney, a central feature of the building.

The power station consisted of a huge turbine hall, thirty-five metres high and 152 metres long, with, parallel to it, the boiler house. The turbine hall became a dramatic entrance area, with ramped access, as well as a display space for very large sculptural projects. The boiler house became the galleries. These are on three levels running the full length of the building. The galleries are disposed in separate but linked blocks, known as suites, on either side of the central escalators. The Tate collection of modern art is displayed on two of the gallery floors, the third is devoted to temporary exhibitions. Above the original roofline of the power station Herzog and De Meuron added a two-storey glass penthouse, known as the lightbeam. The top level of this houses a café-restaurant with stunning views of the river and the City, and the lower a members room with terraces on both sides of the building, the river side one offering the same stunning views as the restaurant. The chimney was capped by a coloured light feature designed by the artist Michael Craig-Martin, known as the Swiss Light. At night, the penthouse lightbeam and the Swiss Light mark the presence of Tate Modern for many miles.