Visual identity project for the Musée de la Romanité

18 September 2019 | 0 Comments | |

In 2018, we had the opportunity to express our opinion on the creation of a visual identity for the Musée de la Romanité in Nîmes. A museum that has since opened its doors to visitors and is located right opposite the famous Roman arena. Unfortunately, the project teams in charge of this call for tenders didn't seem to be "una-Nîmes-ous" on our proposals. Despite this, we invite you to discover our research...

An architectural dialogue between yesterday and today

In 2006-2007, preventive excavations uncovered a domus (Roman house) and two mosaics, Achilles and Pentheus, in perfect condition. They are even described by specialists as "the most beautiful pieces after those in Pompeii". This was the starting point for the project to build a museum worthy of the name.

Launched in June 2011, the jury of the architectural competition selected Elizabeth de Portzamparc's project. Facing the Nîmes Arènes, the museum will engage in a genuine architectural dialogue between the two buildings, which are separated by 2,000 years of history. The two buildings harmoniously oppose and complement each other in their shapes, lines and masses: the round and the rectangle, the vertical and the horizontal, the density of stone and the lightness of glass.

For us, the challenge was to offer a resolutely contemporary interpretation of a subject that can easily fall into a classical - not to say nostalgic - mindset. In short, how to make this ancient heritage current, lively and desirable!

Track 1: A dialogue of shapes

This track proposes a contemporary graphic approach to Romanesque art. To echo the museum in its architecture.

The simple idea was to start with the two most basic geometric shapes, the round and the square. The round for the Arènes (R for Romanité), the square for the museum (M for Musée). These two shapes echo each other, in ways similar to the two architectures. Choosing to use an MR acronym introduces a strong sign by way of logo. It is modular and allows direct identification of the institution.

Its modern design, combined with the museum's iconography (exhibits, immersive photos), defines the personality of the Musée de la Romanité: a place where history is spoken of in the present.

Kakémono

Track 02: A history of facades...

In this proposal, it was the play of architectural continuity that we were emphasizing. The arcades of the ancient arena, and the rectangular façade of the museum... all simplified to the extreme. In the interplay of form and counter-form, an "m" for "museum" and an "r" for "Romanesque" can be perceived.

Then, this vocabulary of minimalist forms became the central ingredient of a lively, playful graphic system.

musée logo