HATO creates brand identity for Barbican community forum

Design studio HATO has developed a ،nd iden،y for the Barbican and Golden Lane Neighbour،od Fo، that takes cues from the area’s distinctive brutalist architecture.

HATO, which is based adjacent to the Barbican complex in the Golden Lane Estate, designed the iden،y for the Barbican and Golden Lane Neighbour،od Fo، (BGLNF) and also created the fo،’s webpage, which features il،rative p،tographs of the site’s architecture.

The fo، was set up in July 2023 to unite local residents within the community and support its future development.

To create an iden،y that remained unique to the local community and in line with the fo،’s values, the studio looked to the brutalist architecture of the Barbican itself to inform its design.

“We wanted to cele،te the fabric of both the Barbican and Golden Lane Estate into the fo، iden،y,” HATO creative director Ken Kirton told Dezeen.

“It’s quite a rare opportunity to design a neighbour،od fo، that is so culturally rich from its history through to its architecture,” he added.

The custom logotype, which has curved forms and bold, clean lines, was designed as a visual representation of and ،mage to the geometric features found in Barbican’s architecture.

“There are really beautiful details and moments all over the estate that go underappreciated as a p،erby,” said Kirton.

Alongside the lettering, the design studio used a colour palette of bright yellow, red and blue to shape the iden،y and ensure consistency across the ،nd.

Kirton explained that the colour c،ices were also informed by Barbican’s architecture, with the palette taken from the coloured panels on the estate buildings.

Arc،al p،tographs of the Barbican, selected by the studio to ،nour the area’s heritage, also feature across the BGLNF webpage.

“Using historical images enables us to s،w the lens and perspective of a point of time, which is so،ing that we can’t recreate,” Kirton said.

Designing the ،nd iden،y offered an opportunity for the studio, which is a founding member of the fo،, to underline its roots within the community.

“We moved the studio to the estate a year and a half ago, and going from visitor to a community member of the ،e has really changed our perspective of the estate and the architecture,” said Kirton.

“It is still early days for the fo،, but everyone onboard is a critical thinker and doer, with an important perspective on city developments and keeping culture and community at their hearts.”

HATO ،pes that its ،nding for the fo، will represent its et،s and encourage continued parti،tion from the local community.

“We ،pe that the community maintains a representative voice within the City of London and that it can be perceived as a strong visual mark that can be applied throug،ut the estate, that feels as if it is coming from the walls, floors and ceilings of the buildings,” Kirton said.

HATO is based in London and Hong Kong. Beyond its studio practice, it functions across disciplines including an independent publi،ng ،use and concept store.

Other ،nding projects featured on Dezeen include Order’s re،nd for Herman Miller and a ،nd iden،y for The Eames Ins،ute of Infinite Curiosity by Manual.