Visual identity of a museum project

A new Museum of History and Future is underway, set to open in Turku 2029. The preparations of the museum project started already in 2017 and are going to continue during the 2020s. Ellun Kanat designed and realized a visual identity for the museum project.  

Desire to Change

As part of the communications strategy, the museum project needed a visual appearance which is independent from the final visual concept of the museum. At the beginning of the designing phase, the final museum concept was still finding its shape – the only sure thing was that the new museum will be taking advantage of modern exhibition technology and it’s going to be showcasing the history of Finland and Turku in one form or another.

Our Vision

For the museum project, we wanted to create a visual identity that is not only ageless but also capable of adapting to life and evolving with time. The museum project’s visual concept is shaped into a “Timeline”. Instead of focusing on either history or the future, the visual identity is focused on illustrating time and traveling in time. Additionally, the concept of “Timeline” doesn’t restrict the final visual concept of the museum, which is still taking shape. This approach helps in bundling the planning process; giving visibility to both history and the future at the same time.

The Change

The final realization of the “Timeline” is interpreted as a spiral which combines the linear, cyclic, and periodical perceptions of time. The spots of the timeline function both as part of the spiral and as individual graphic elements. The typography of the identity is futuristic yet the clear dark features hint towards history. 

We wanted to introduce amusement and wilderness into the traditional museum imagery. Pictures that have been incorporated into the spots of the timeline function as peeks into moments along the timeline, both in the history and the future. The photography concept of “peeks into the spots of the timeline” is designed to permit the inclusion of diverse pictures into the appearance. These pictures could include catalogues of future exhibitions, imagery from the preparations phase such as illustrations, and upcoming imagery on the museum experience.