Terence Conran-founded restaurant gets a new visual identity

Orrery, a restaurant located in Marylebone, has been given a new visual identity by London-based design studio Dutchscot.

The new identity aims to “modernise” the restaurant’s brand, the studio’s creative partner, Ross Goulden, says. It includes a logo, visual refresh for physical touchpoints such as menus and business cards, and digital assets.

Orrery was originally opened by designer Terence Conran in 1997. In 2006, it was bought out by London restaurant group, D&D. Dutchscot has worked with D&D on several branding projects, including the recent identity for The Work Room, which creates drop-in workspaces at restaurants.

The restaurant takes its name directly from an orrery, a scale mechanical model of the solar system, which shows the relative positions and movements of the planets and moons.
Goulden says that this orrery concept inspired the branding. The restaurant’s food and drink offerings and interiors — which were updated last year by interior design studio Sagrada — were also an influence.

Design details

On the new logo, the letters “orbit” the first letter of the restaurant’s name, as a reflection of the solar system’s motions.

Stills were taken during different stages of movement and used for materials such as business cards and menus. An animated logo was also created for digital applications.

The logo relies on the new geometric slab serif typeface — Beton — which strikes a “balance between elegance and functionality”, Goulden says. The ‘O’ is a perfect circle, which represents the sun, the centre of the solar system.

This pattern was also inspired by the restaurant’s dishes, many of which are served on circular dishes.

Prints

Dutchscot collaborated with Wiltshire-based artist Jemma Lewis to create a series of marbled prints across touchpoints such as menus, coasters and wall art. These marbled prints add “colour in an elegant way”, Goulden says.

They are inspired by the “feel” of dishes and drinks available at the restaurant such as crab and wasabi. “It’s easy to look at the menu and imagine the colours,” adds Goulden.

On the food menus, the marbling patterns were printed within circles with captions that hint at dishes on the menu that inspired them.

The bar menu features a foiled logo as well as bespoke marbled patterns for the restaurant’s signature cocktails.

Posters based on these prints have been framed and hung in the restaurant.