Gramática Studio’s playful brand for Avant Garden merges avant-garde spirit with rooftop greenery

Perched high above Riga’s city centre, Avant Garden transforms from dining destination by day to pulsating cultural hotspot by night. The rooftop terrace, surrounded by lush greenery, hosts everything from intimate dinners to energetic dance parties, creating an urban oasis that needed an identity as dynamic as its programming. London and Riga-based Gramática Studio, known for its functional, systematic, and minimalist approach to visual design, crafted a brand that captures both the venue’s avant-garde spirit and its botanical setting. “We combined a playful and experimental visual language with references to greenery and natural textures, inspired by the rooftop garden setting,” explains Designer & Partner Toms Babcuks. “The result feels both playful and rooted in nature, just like the name suggests.” The wordmark anchors the identity with deliberately unconventional letterforms that feel approachable rather than alienating. Each character has been crafted to embody the venue’s experimental ethos while maintaining readability across applications. “The letterforms are playful, mixed and intentionally a bit odd to feel friendly and memorable,” Babcuks notes. “They reflect the brand's experimental side.” Gramática developed a colour palette that speaks directly to the venue’s rooftop garden environment. Drawing from natural materials and the surrounding greenery, the colours ground the avant-garde aesthetic in its physical setting while remaining practical for diverse applications. The palette serves the dual purpose of connecting to the space’s botanical elements and ensuring print-friendly reproduction across various touchpoints.