Inspired by the Huangpu River, we created an identity that flows.
The wordmark for Westbund Central balances precision with soft curves, while typography drifts and settles with ease, reflecting the movement of water.
We designed motion principles to vary in energy — from a gentle ripple to a powerful wave — bringing calm and energy into the identity.
The result is an identity that moves with the place itself: calm, continuous and alive.
Read more on our website
Our latest work is for Westbund Central, Shanghai’s new downtown.
In the city, a new generation is resisting 996 — working 9am to 9pm, 6 days a week — in favour of rebalancing life and work.
There is no better embodiment of this shift than Westbund Central — the new downtown that brings together nature, culture and inspiration. It’s a prescient invitation to: Enjoy Life.
Our tagline for one of the world’s largest mixed-use developments is a philosophy and a commercial strategy, shaping everything from the tenant mix to the experience itself.
Case study now live
Right across from Notting Hill Place, we transformed an empty boutique shop into a welcoming gallery space. We collaborated with Gemco to design a space that draws on the natural materials of the building. Wood panelling, draped curtains and bespoke joinery create a relaxed and impactful experience.
We’re continuing to bring the life of Notting Hill Place to the neighbourhood and beyond, with a quarterly newspaper in the making.
Photography of the space by @georgecudby
Our identity for Notting Hill Place seeks to capture the sophistication and unpretentious charm of the world famous neighbourhood. Editorial-style photography and film by @maxmiechowski@companion.fyi basks in the warm glow of natural light, and captures the ease and elegance of what a day working in the area might look like.
Our chosen typeface, Moulin, with its curved terminals and sculptural forms, brings an elegance to the identity. The refined ligatures echo the marque and level of craftsmanship evidenced in the building, and the tapered forms expand into framing devices for more energetic expressions.
#nottinghill #placemaking
Introducing Notting Hill Place, the neighbourhood workplace. Beautiful, versatile spaces designed for a heightened experience for talent. Across two landmark buildings, we crafted a new name, story and identity that captures the charm of the local neighbourhood.
We designed a marque inspired by the mid-century modern architecture by Squire and Partners, and a nod to the historic Notting Hill gate that once stood on site.
Campaign photography and film by @maxmiechowski@companion.fyi and case study photographs by @georgecudby
In Amsterdam’s business district Zuidas, an exciting transformation is taking place. A singular office block will be turned into new homes, maker and cultural spaces and village gardens.
We partnered with @luismendo to create scenes to depict village life, inviting viewers to get lost in the richness of Zudo — from picking out tulips to the neighbourhood baker, butcher and bruin café.
#amsterdam #placebranding #typography #graphicdesign #illustration
The fortress-like ABN AMRO headquarters in Amsterdam’s business district will soon be transformed into a village.
For our latest project, we created a visual identity as special as this place: made of many different parts and full of energy, while still reflecting the refined quality of the design.
By assembling a sans serif and a serif font together, with Amsterdam-based foundry @bold_decisions , we created a bespoke typeface that reflects the way Zudo itself is made: imaginatively adapting buildings, and confidently comfortable with contrasts. Scenes of this future village are illustrated by @luismendo , adding a layer of charm to the identity.
The place brand narrative is delivered in both Dutch and English. We swapped similar sounding words with their counterpart, creating a distinctly destandardised tone of voice.
#placemaking #illustration
#graphicdesign #amsterdam
Amsterdam’s business centre Zuidas is synonymous with ambition and global connection — yet almost any Amsterdammer will tell you it’s missing the social atmosphere of the rest of the city.
With a clear vision to transform the ABN AMRO headquarters into new homes, workspaces, neighbourhood streets and gardens, we collaborated with Victory and LMTD to capture this multidimensional mission, which @luismendo brought to life through illustration.
Our tagline welded together simplicity and surprise: a village for Zuidas. This captured the contrast at the centre of the project’s identity, and helped us uncover a powerfully simple name: Zudo — a neat portmanteau of “Zuidas” and “dorp” meaning village in Dutch.
See the full case study on our website
#amsterdam #placebranding #typography #graphicdesign #illustration
At Broadgate Central, we were inspired by this new London arcade's flowing architecture by @ahmmarchitects and shaped a brand system that celebrates its distinctive design as a living grid. The result is a dimensional framework that invites you to step inside the worlds of its brands.
This work is part of our ongoing collaboration with @britishlandplc as they create transformative new parts of London.
@broadgatelondon
Our campaign for Broadgate Central launches this week, introducing a new concept to London bringing together fashion, dining and wellness to the City.
IRL to URL, look out for Tube posters to digital adverts across the capital, that are alive with a sense of movement and dynamic art direction that will change both with the seasons of the weather and industry trends.
Created with #BroadgateCentral's creators @britishlandplc
New work: Naming and destination retail branding for #BroadgateCentral — a new world of fashion, dining and wellness for central London.
Part of @BritishLand ’s £1.5bn next chapter for Broadgate, this 120,000 sq ft arcade connects Liverpool Street station with Broadgate’s public squares — we created a name that captures a sense of connection, and a visual identity that reflects the architecture as a platform for dynamic retail.
@broadgatelondon
Wordmark by Cartlidge Levene
New work: at the core of 70 Hudson Yards’ brand is its logo — its most visible and enduring identifier.
Inspired by its signature finned facade, the beveled logo signifies the building’s commitment to precision, high performance and elevated service, and embodies the sophistication of the overall 70 Hudson Yards experience.
The typography combines modern structure with bold contrast, mirroring the materials and the dynamic experience of the building itself.
Read the full case study on our website.
#placebranding #typography #graphicdesign
