BozarCultural Bazaar

Lifting a Belgian icon from established staple to leading voice

Brussels’ center for fine arts Bozar is a catch-all for culture in the heart of the city. Eschewing a logo and empowering the ubiquity of its name, the institution’s updated identity converses with its audience, reflects its dynamism, and responds in real-time.

As Belgium’s number-one cultural institution, Bozar amalgamates music, fine arts, cinema, architecture, literature and more alongside a restaurant, a brasserie and a bookstore – all within a grand building designed by Victor Horta in 1929. Bozar’s rich offering draws visitors from all ages and walks of life, but its visual identity had become serious, rigid, and slightly boring. It was time for a refresh.

Taking precedent from some of Europe’s top cultural venues – with which Bozar plays in the same league – a more daring, flexible and impactful approach was required to elevate it from an established institution, to a leading name in Belgium and beyond. To achieve this, a set of five principles were laid out to guide a new identity and shape the brand’s future communications.

Firstly, acknowledging and leveraging the fact that Bozar has become a word with its own meaning and gravitas. Since the name was controversially introduced by Base in 2004, it has become ingrained in the vocabulary of Belgians and is used as both noun and verb. Rather than designing a new logo, we chose to simply embrace this moniker.

The second principle involved creating a conversational tone of voice – one that asks questions of its audience and invites them into a dialogue. Delivered via a neutral typeface and a unique multilingualism, with custom flourishes introduced through ornamental punctuation.

Next, communicating in real-time with messaging that reacts to current events and embraces the spontaneity of content created during its programming.

Principle four introduces radical simplicity, because less is more impactful.

And finally, acknowledging Bozar as a place in perpetual movement, constantly shifting its programme and audience, which is reflected in a modular visual system for its digital and social platforms that can be easily implemented by the institution’s communications team.

Bozar’s long-standing relationship with Base allowed for a deep dig into the heart of the institution, in order to rediscover and convey its energy in a living voice. More conversations have already started.

Brussels’ center for fine arts Bozar is a catch-all for culture in the heart of the city. Eschewing a logo and empowering the ubiquity of its name, the institution’s updated identity converses with its audience, reflects its dynamism, and responds in real-time.

As Belgium’s number-one cultural institution, Bozar amalgamates music, fine arts, cinema, architecture, literature and more alongside a restaurant, a brasserie and a bookstore – all within a grand building designed by Victor Horta in 1929. Bozar’s rich offering draws visitors from all ages and walks of life, but its visual identity had become serious, rigid, and slightly boring. It was time for a refresh.

Taking precedent from some of Europe’s top cultural venues – with which Bozar plays in the same league – a more daring, flexible and impactful approach was required to elevate it from an established institution, to a leading name in Belgium and beyond. To achieve this, a set of five principles were laid out to guide a new identity and shape the brand’s future communications.

Firstly, acknowledging and leveraging the fact that Bozar has become a word with its own meaning and gravitas. Since the name was controversially introduced by Base in 2004, it has become ingrained in the vocabulary of Belgians and is used as both noun and verb. Rather than designing a new logo, we chose to simply embrace this moniker.

The second principle involved creating a conversational tone of voice – one that asks questions of its audience and invites them into a dialogue. Delivered via a neutral typeface and a unique multilingualism, with custom flourishes introduced through ornamental punctuation.

Next, communicating in real-time with messaging that reacts to current events and embraces the spontaneity of content created during its programming.

Principle four introduces radical simplicity, because less is more impactful.

And finally, acknowledging Bozar as a place in perpetual movement, constantly shifting its programme and audience, which is reflected in a modular visual system for its digital and social platforms that can be easily implemented by the institution’s communications team.

Bozar’s long-standing relationship with Base allowed for a deep dig into the heart of the institution, in order to rediscover and convey its energy in a living voice. More conversations have already started.