Hasta La Ideas

Greenspace‘s new identity, typeface and website for Zaha Hadid Architects is inspired by the firm’s use of computer scripts and pattern generation in its pioneering work…

ZHA is well known for its avant-garde approach to building design, which often incorporates computer generated patterning programs.

Design studio and branding strategists Greenspace used some of these technical aspects to ZHA’s working process (including their use of parametric theory) into a new identity for the practice, in which a series of graphic shapes, structures and patterns are applied across the company’s communications material.

“We set out to create a coherent brand and website for ZHA, one that would strengthen and reinforce the story of such a visionary practice,” says Adrian Caddy, founder and CEO of Greenspace. “We interviewed 30 of their senior associates and designers and asked them what they thought about their company. This gave us a good basis on which we could base ideas and build our approach.”

Greenspace developed the identity and the bespoke typeface, Zaha Hadid Sans, in collaboration with Hadid’s senior partner, Patrik Schumacher, and designer Miles Newlyn. “We deliberately didn’t want to create a brand identity that would be a pastiche of any of the ZHA created works,” adds Caddy. “We wanted the work to speak for itself, not be over-powered by its brand.”

As part of the redesign, a new HTML5 website at zaha-hadid.com was also created which serves as a vast digital archive of ZHA work, both built and conceptual.

Greenspace design team: Paul Blackburn, Lee Deverill, James Taylor, Stephanie Wilkinson, Adrian Caddy. ZHA project team: Patrik Schumacher, Lars Teichmann, Bidisha Sinha. Photographic portraits: Alex Telfer. Website Production: Scott David.

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