Royal Pavilion gets brand refresh

Brighton’s iconic Royal Pavilion is set to get a refreshed visual identity by Newcastle design consultancy Sumo.

The branding will be part of a wider brand overhaul for Brighton & Hove City Council’s Museum & Library service, aiming to bring all its venues and services under a consistent identity.

Sumo was appointed to the project following a five-way tender against undisclosed competitors. The consultancy has seven weeks to create an overarching brand identity for the Museum & Library service, individual identities for its attractions and venues, and a set of brand guidelines that the council’s in-house team will use to implement the designs.

‘They have got six museums with very different content, as well as all the library services, so they want a coherent brand across these,’ says Sumo managing director Jim Richardson. ‘The libraries offer lots more possibilities than the museums alone, as there is a huge scope to cross-promote between the venues.’

The most iconic of these venues is the city’s Royal Pavilion, an Indian-style building largely conceived by 18th century architect John Nash. ‘We will create a service identity, but then each venue will have its own identity to some extent and the feeling is that the pavilion is such a high-profile venue that it should have its own logo that works within the system,’ adds Richardson.

Using Sumo’s brand guidelines, a website for the services will also be developed by Nomensa, a digital consultancy which specialises in inclusive design for on-line services.