Brand strategy and visual identity

Rubenshuis museum
Rubenshuis is a historic artist’s house designed by Peter Paul Rubens, where Rubens lived, worked, and received guests. Homeliness characterizes the ‘old’ Rubenshuis, but this experience also had to be translated into the new spaces, which are different in function and style, yet still embody that same warm feeling. This experience should be total. We also wanted to preserve the hospitality that was so typical for Rubens in the Rubenshuis brand. As a result, branding plays a multiple role: visual, emotional, and functional.

We always look for a core and translate it across various layers: for corporate, for events, for merchandising, for education, but also spatially for signage. And, of course, for online and offline.

Contrast
The person Rubens was the great source of inspiration. Rubens can be characterized as a man of contrasts. He is known as a painter but was also a diplomat, writer, entrepreneur, and designer of book covers, altars, and tapestries. Rubens, as a contrasting personality, was therefore a thoughtful starting point for the brand identity.

Typography
The power of contrast is very evident in the new typography of the Rubenshuis. The wordmark ‘Rubenshuis’ consists of two contrasting typefaces. It combines a classic serif font for ‘Rubens’ with a modern sans-serif font for ‘huis’. In the typography, thick and thin lines blend perfectly.

Color
The color palette is also inspired by the use of contrasts. Modern meets classic. The palette symbolizes the triptych of the Rubenshuis and its inhabitants: blue for heaven/paradise, red for physicality/culture, and green for nature/garden. The three contrasting shades of each color provide a distinctive appearance but also flexibility in communication.

Visual language
Rubens was innovative in the way he gave a Flemish interpretation to the classic Italian arches in portals. Thus, in the Rubenshuis, there arose a revolutionary contrast for that time, between the round arches and angular constructions that were present. For us, this has been the foundation for the visual identity in the visual language.

Experience
The expansion and renovation of the Rubenshuis itself also embody contrast. For the Rubens Experience, digital technologies give the Rubenshuis, the life of Rubens, and his works a new, interactive dimension. The garden showcases Rubens’ versatility as a garden architect.

Signalization
The house, the garden, the library: they are all spaces with their own identity, both classic and modern. Therefore, we have devised a strategy in which signage, the wayfinding for visitors, plays a special role. It must be functional but at the same time reflect the Rubenshuis brand throughout all spaces. The use of wood emphasizes the warmth and homeliness.

Opening Rubenshuis
Feel free to visit the Rubenshuis and be amazed by the world of Peter Paul Rubens!