Snøhetta Identity & Web
Our Common Heritage and Future
2022–2023
Introduction
Our visual identity is a manifest of our common heritage and history. When Snøhetta was established in 1989, an illustration of the mountain from which the company borrows its name was introduced and has been part of our identity ever since. Even with several iterations, the perspective and use of the iconic mountain remain the same over 30 years later.
Technical details
Late 80's, early 90's: The shape of the mountain in the front with the two peaks in the back was established early. Internal design by Snøhetta.
Early 2000's: The first modern take on the symbol, supported with timely typography. Internal design by Snøhetta.
2008: The only time someone non-internal did a redesign of the identity. Also the only version of the identity without the mountain. Made by Norwegian design studio Bleed, who did a full rebrand and new website.
2014: Designed by the then newly established internal design department. The mountain was brought back again.
The logo expands horizontally to create a placement for titles and information, to create a democratic space where everything is equality important. A simple and strong layout principle being used throughout our visual identity.
The Typography
In partnership with Dinamo Typefaces, a custom version of ABC Social was created. We call it Dovre Social, after the municipality where the Snøhetta mountain is located.
The Colours
Our colours are black and white, and everything in between. Greys are adapted for both light and dark backgrounds, and are used to build the text hierarchy instead of type weight and scale.
The Website
When redesigning our website, our main challenge was to find new and more engaging ways of communicating our projects, disciplines, and philosophy. We've worked extensively on how to convey the physical and spatial aspects of our practice through technology and design. To respond to this, we have designed and developed several custom features, including a globe view option when exploring projects, 3D modules that can be added to projects, and interactive image headings for archive material.
See the locations of all Snøhetta projects through a globe view option.
A custom made 3D module gives us the chance to give a realistic impression of physical models.
A Custom Generative Soundscape
To further explore how we could convey sensory qualities in a digital context, we created a custom soundscape generator that is used on a few selected projects. The generator creates a new way of experiencing Snøhetta's projects, playing an infinite mix of ambient music mixed with recordings from the site.
How colour in images are translated into notes.
The soundscape from the Under project. Try it out in the gallery view in the project.
Try it out yourself in the Norwegian National Opera project.
Contact
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Sustainable Web
With our new website we've taken a look at how everything digital also has a carbon footprint – and what we can do to reduce it.
Graphic & Digital Design
Our approach to visual matter goes further than just the design itself. Read more about how we work with Graphic & Digital Design as a discipline within an international architecture practice.