Museu Nacional da República identity

Museu Nacional da República is a public art museum in Brasília designed by renowned architect Oscar Niemeyer, a pioneer in shaping the sphere of modernist architecture in Brazil and abroad. The museum, simply referred to as “Museu” by locals, houses a plethora of cultural artifacts and hosts exhibitions that feature some of Brazil’s most prominent artists including Yutaka Toyota, Rubem Valentim, and Aurelino dos Santos. Although initially incorporated into Brasília’s city planning back in the late 1950s, the museum was only constructed and inaugurated more recently in 2006.

Through this project, the museum sought to increase its visibility in terms of visitation, collaborations and profitability as well as transforming the museum into a more inclusive space. Leading the rebrand, Manufatura invited Porto Rocha to entirely rethink Museu Nacional’s graphic identity and communication strategy from a holistic perspective considering every step of the visitor’s journey from digital and web applications, to the physical experience inside the dome itself. The new design system integrates a wide breadth of touchpoints including signage direction, printed materials, uniforms, stationery, merchandise and packaging, amongst others.

The circle and square join together to create a modern symbol for Museu Nacional. As a central feature of the identity, it represents the aerial view of Niemeyer’s dome while establishing the idea of “inside and outside”, contrasting the relationship between these two spaces. A contemporary take on a traditionally modern typographic style, the use of Founders Grotesk (and its Text branch) recalls the visual language employed during Brasília’s early urban development while its circular letterforms allude to the museum’s infinitely curved walls.

See the case study with more images and full credits on Porta Rocha’s website.