Hymn’s identity for Atelier Nova reflects the design studio’s evolution with organic fluidity

Over time, Atelier Nova, headquartered in the Swiss municipality of Prilly, knew its priorities had shifted. Once positioned as a do-it-all practice capable of taking on everything, the multi-disciplinary design studio (primarily focused on architecture and design) gradually concluded that it had to reevaluate its positioning. Its image, while sleek and professional, was out of alignment with its sustainability-driven focus and active client-first collaboration. Lausanne-based design studio Hymn, invited to redesign the identity, knew they had to retain Atelier Nova’s established expertise and capacity to manage an array of projects, all while putting their vision and values at the forefront. Following an extensive dive into the company’s DNA, the resulting look, a tale of two parts, strikes a balance between the practice’s technical and controlled approach, as well as its human, bespoke, and sustainable approach to work. Departing from the “often very minimal and static” aesthetics of typical architecture branding, the identity’s key feature is what Founder & Creative Director Alexandre Henriques describes as “organic nuances” – a series of watercolour-esque morphing forms. Initially, in order to deliver something that channels the more ‘human’ approach, “I felt that we needed to step away from the computers, face a blank sheet, and start creating manually,” he tells us. Two members of the team spent a couple of days in a room with paint, brushes, clay, pencils, and charcoal, focusing on exploring various visual ideas, eventually leading to the ‘organic nuances’ concept – characterised by loose, flowing forms, expressing a material that moves, evolves, and lives. “We then went back to the computer and, using the 2D motion design tool Calvary,” Henriques adds, “recreated, to some extent, the results of our free explorations.” To complement these forms, perpetually in evolution, Hymn created a colour palette that references natural materials while incorporating vibrant, unexpected accents. Signalling the studio’s unwavering expertise, Atelier Nova’s simple yet distinctive two-curved ‘AN’ monogram captures their commitment to clarity and simplicity. This is reinforced by a modular logo system and the modern GT Planar typeface, described by Henriques as “a contemporary typeface that is simple and technical at the same time.” Most importantly, the identity resonated deeply with the team, who “embraced the refreshed branding with great enthusiasm, recognising themselves in this visual identity.”