To be at home in Paris: Abmo uses type, texture and tone to embody the sensuality of Hôtel Buci

Both homely and eccentric, the visual identity for the Parisian stay Hôtel Buci from Bordeaux-based design studio Abmo is a welcoming, vibrant assortment of type, texture and tones, interweaving material choices and traditional subversions to create a brand that is undeniably inviting and irrefutably French. Working alongside the interior designer Paul Salas, the space and the identity mirror one another, from the interplay of light and shadow to the significance of tactility – never wasting an opportunity for subtle sensuality, as heroed by the flourishing wordmark. “We chose not to use a pre-existing typeface but instead crafted a unique design,” Graphic & Type Designer Arthur Alazard tells us, discussing Hôtel Buci’s wordmark. “Our intention was to encapsulate the essence of French elegance, melding it with a sleek, modern sensibility,” he continues, “which led us to create a curvy, high-contrast, sans serif wordmark characterised by its unconventional geometric structure.” As a result, the letters effortlessly inhabit the balance between tradition and modernity that is found across Hôtel Buci, a notion that continued into the wordmark’s application, with the sign painting agency Studio 6 Lettres hand-rendering the curvaceous forms onto the hotel’s façade. A partner of the wordmark, Abmo introduced a cursive ‘B’ monogram that features throughout the identity, becoming somewhat of a stamp. “It serves as a contemporary reinterpretation of the hotel’s historical monogram,” Alazard details, “crafted to add a touch of extravagance and sensuality,” intending to add contrast to the wordmark’s calligraphic strokes, which champions the hotel’s soft sensuality. “Utilised as a signature element,” he continues, “the ‘B’ symbol embodies the hotel’s voice and messages, adding a personal touch to its identity.”