Work

The Leonardo Museum

A museum that blends art and science, just like Leonardo.

Service
Brand Refresh
Capabilities
A modern building with a flat roof and cut-out windows near the top, adorned with colorful vertical banners. The left banner is pink with abstract white lines, and the right banner is yellow with angular patterns. The building is lit by warm lights at dusk.

Background

Leonardo da Vinci was a true Renaissance man, blending diverse talents as a painter, sculptor, writer, engineer, and anatomist. His drawing of the Vitruvian man is iconic to this day, as is, of course, the ubiquitous Mona Lisa. He filled notebooks with sketches of flying machines, theories of plate tectonics, musical instruments, and a mechanical knight. His inventions seamlessly integrated technology, architecture, and biology.

The challenge

Inspired by Leonardo’s incredible imagination, The Leonardo Museum in Salt Lake City explores the intersection of science, art, and technology. Interactive exhibits, workshops, and programs all aim to engage the public and inspire the sort of creative imagination that Leo would be proud of. In preparation for a grand opening in its new home, the renovated Salt Lake City Public Library building, The Leo needed a cohesive identity to build awareness and recognition around its brand.

A contemporary building with a large banner that reads "BIOLOGY AS ART" is in the center. In the foreground, a stone waterfall and landscaped garden are visible. In the background, a tall historic building with a dome and flag can be seen under a partly cloudy sky.

The opportunity

Hyperakt was asked to evolve The Leo’s existing logo to a full brand language, with typography, color palette, and environmental signage. We extended The Leo’s brand based on the idea of a dynamic interplay between scientific precision, digital experimentation, and artistic playfulness. This informed our choices for selecting typefaces, creating a contemporary color palette, and designing signage that surprises and delights.

A person holds a white card with colorful, reflective, hexagonal patterns and the text "THELEONARD" at the bottom. The card appears to be turned over, showing a different set of patterns. The background is a plain, dark-colored shirt.
A modern building with large windows and a gray facade features a bold, pink banner adorned with wavy white line patterns. In front of the entrance, a person walks by a metallic sculpture on a grassy lawn. Trees and a clear sky are visible in the background.
A beige concrete building with a large vertical pink banner displaying abstract white line art. The corner of the building has the word "LEONARD" in large pink letters and "THE" in smaller black letters. A storefront with glass windows is visible below.
A large concrete building with an artistic banner displayed on its side. The banner features a geometric design with interconnected cubes in various colors against a blue background. The word "LEONARDO" is vertically written in large, bold pink letters on the left.
A schematic map of the first floor. Key locations are indicated: Entrance, Tickets, There there, Holotype, Bridge, Lab @ Leo. Icons for restrooms and information points are visible. The map uses vibrant colors and directional arrows for clarity.
A large information stand displays a map of an indoor location with three numbered steps. The background features a wall adorned with green illuminated dots. Several people, some in motion and others standing, are gathered around the sign.
People walk by an exhibition display in a dimly lit gallery. The display features a prominent sign with the word "Render" and geometric patterns. Other visitors can be seen in the background, examining various exhibits under focused lighting.
A dimly lit interior with people interacting in a modern exhibit space. A green sign reads "Out on a Limb." Two white tables with headphones and other objects are in the foreground. A large black wall installation is visible in the background.
A group of people socializing at an indoor event near a tall sign with "LAB" written vertically on it. Guests are dressed in semi-formal attire, including a woman in a red dress and a man in a suit. The background features large windows and exhibit displays.
A modern exhibition space featuring bright, interactive screens and panels. Two people are viewing illuminated data visualizations, maps, and large pink informational banners with wavy patterns. The room has a contemporary design with overhead lighting accents.
A restroom entrance shows modern, artistic representations of men and women. The men's graphic is in teal, and the women's graphic is in magenta. Each design uses geometric shapes to form a human figure and is labeled accordingly.
Two horizontal banners with the text "CURIOSITY IS BEAUTIFUL" and "LEONARDO" in capital letters. The top banner features a colorful wave pattern on a black background, while the bottom banner shows a science-themed background with webs and bright lighting effects.
Three black t-shirts displayed in a row. The first t-shirt has a colorful overlapping word design. The second t-shirt has a grid-like pattern. The third t-shirt has a diagonal pixelated pattern in shades of red and blue.
A minimalist graphic featuring a magenta robot made of geometric shapes, such as diamonds and hexagons, on a white background. The word "HELLO." is written in bold magenta letters in the top-left corner.

Project Credits

Client
Year of Completion
Issues
Services
Capabilities
Project Team
  • Deroy Peraza
  • Josh Smith
  • Rui Ribeiro
  • Aymie Spitzer
  • Wen Ping Huang

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