Massiera Samadi’s identity for architectural collective A26 is striking, salient and simple

The coming together of expertise; A26 Architects is a new coalition of multiple architectural practices with the aspiration to utilise their collective experience and vast knowledge within one united structure. Calling on Parisian design studio Massiera Samadi, A26 needed an accompanying fresh face to match their new beginnings, including the birth of their new name. The result is pure simplicity; an immediately structural workmark that conveys the stability of their new cooperation. This was made possible by the use of Akzidenz Grotesk, an impactful and refined typeface that, with the latter characteristics, reflects the brand’s intentions and principles. The technical specifications of Akzidenz Grotesk were also architecturally considered – Nadia Samadi of Massiera Samadi explains that “the height of the letter A is the same as the height of the numbers,” leading to customising the number set by “accentuating the width of the numbers, so that the A and 2 are optically aligned.” In further attention given to detail, the choice to stack the wordmark was decided with equally rational and literally fundamental reasoning, telling us that “the A is above the 26 to express the notions of construction and grouping.”