2014
European heritage days
The visual identity for the 2014 edition of European Heritage Days is a multi-layered typographic composition. Created using a condensed typeface, three-dimensional letters form the identifying typogram, for which we chose the title “Heritage Days”—a term commonly used by the vast majority of visitors. These three-dimensional forms arranged on a surface symbolize architecture, the built object, and the built heritage. Beneath the typogram, between the letters and syllables—much like on a topographic map—contour lines delineate the landscape. This is the natural space from which the built environment emerges. The interaction between the three-dimensional letters and the surrounding space evokes the relationship between built heritage and the surrounding landscape. A vertical photograph of this composition serves as the main visual for the 2014 edition of European Heritage Days. The interplay of light and shadow brings the “building-letters” to life. Arranging the letters by syllables allows the compositions to be adapted both vertically and horizontally. The background also adapts and follows the typographic composition. Thus, for each format, a specific shot is taken so that from one variation to the next, the visual adapts and is never quite the same. In the gaps, and in the foreground of the photograph, the essential details—the official title and the theme “Cultural Heritage, Natural Heritage”—are subtly incorporated.
Design Team — Ruedi Baur and Chantal Grossen