Typography for Photo Elysée
Bespoke geometry for a museum in transition
Coinciding with Photo Elysée's 2022 move into a new building by Portuguese architect Aires Mateus, studio Gavillet & Cie led a full rebrand including a proposed new name and a cohesive identity built around a minimalist approach. François Rappo designed a bespoke geometric typeface for the project, deployed across signage, communications, and digital assets. A secondary text-optimised variant was developed alongside the headline style for smaller-scale compositions.
Set in Photo Elysée
Insights
- The typeface's tectonic rhythm was achieved through dense forms and tight leading, consciously referencing Herb Lubalin's typographic work.
- Ultra-thin diacritics were introduced as a deliberate contrast against the typeface's geometric, dense structure.
- A dedicated text variant was developed specifically for smaller compositions, extending the custom type system beyond headline use.
- Gavillet & Cie's scope included proposing the museum's new name, not only the visual redesign.
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