The Old Fire Station
Merging contemporary and classic for an old fire station turned venue
Intro
The Old Fire Station is a unique 1200-capacity nightclub and 550-capacity live music venue in the heart of Bournemouth. Playing host to a diverse lineup of events over the years, it has become an iconic venue on the south coast. Since 1995 the venue has acted as a nightclub and music venue for the Students' Union at Bournemouth University, while also being open to members of the public for a variety of gigs and events throughout the year.
Challenge
The Old Fire Station needed a contemporary aesthetic that would stay relevant and appealing for years to come, ensuring the brand's longevity and ongoing connection with its audience. We set out to create a brand identity featuring adaptable logos for various applications, maintaining visual consistency and recognisability across all formats. Refreshing a brand identity that had been established over a decade ago involved retaining the core elements audiences know and love while infusing fresh design elements to give the look and feel a modern update.
Logo
Social Templates
Event Artwork
Key Ideas & Insights
Using a Fire Station as inspiration
The visual language drew inspiration from the fire station venue, utilising patterns, colours, and visual elements traditionally associated with fire stations, such as bold diagonal and rectangular patterns. The design heavily incorporated fire station and fire truck imagery, using cross-hatch patterns and colours to add distinctive flair and strengthen the brand’s visual impact.
Bringing the space to the brand’s identity
We quickly tapped into the heart of the brand and venue itself – vibrant, bold and of the city. Our re-envisioned logo used the 3 multi-purpose rooms of the venue as inspiration. The design pays homage to the fire station through a flame form and we built upon this vision to create a rich diamond motif. Contemporary in feel, classic in character.
Creating a visual system
These fire station-inspired patterns were developed into a cohesive visual system, applied across various brand outlets including print and merchandise whilst ensuring a strong and recognisable brand identity.
Timeless Typography
The choice of Avenir Next, a solid and well-established Sans Serif typeface, added a timeless and clean appearance, enhancing the brand’s modern yet classic feel.
