Vanderbrand devises a scalable identity system for the redevelopment of Mississauga's downtown district

Square One District is a revolutionary redevelopment of Canadian coastal city Mississauga that will roll out in multiple phases throughout the upcoming decades. Developer Oxford Properties plan to transform the city’s 130 acre downtown region into one of Canada’s leading retail, lifestyle and entertainment destinations through the introduction of 18,000 residences, 37 towers and a 2.2 million square foot shopping centre. With an innovative light rail line set to open in 2024 to create an accessible route to and from Toronto, the development will welcome millions of new visitors to the city. As a response to the project’s scale, creative agency Vanderbrand designed Square One District’s identity to possess a robust, concise and thematic framework. A consistent narrative concept underlines the intentionally straightforward graphic system. Notions of aspiration, innovation, and above all, the relationship between people and places, are used to connect Mississauga’s residents to its future. The two typefaces that form the visual backbone of the identity, Neue Haas Grotesk and Domaine Display, were selected not only for their timeless qualities but also for their atypical nature when used in combination. Vanderbrand adds that the pairing needed to be “flexible across spatial and digital communications” and “amplify a confident yet approachable voice”. On launch, the brand is led by an electric purple colour, which the agency explains “embodies Oxford Properties’ bold promise for change”. However, as Square One District “moves into the different phases of development, the colour story will evolve and reinvigorate through diverse, vibrant hues”.