BRAND IDENTITY
In view to Sofia's candidacy supported by the South-West Region, the logo system has been modified.
You can download the new logo system in Bulgarian and in English here.
Author of the initial logo system: Boris Bonev
Country: Bulgaria
Concept:
Definition for culture: overall model of human knowledge, beliefs and conduct.
I am using the shield from Sofia’s crest – a heraldic combination of symbols and signs, representing the city’s identity. The city’s crest is the link between Bulgaria and Europe for several reasons:
1. It was created on the occasion of representing Sofia to the world – for the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900.
2. Crests or emblems are part of the heraldic tradition, and thus of Europe’s tradition of knowledge and historic origins.
3. The shape of the shield in Sofia’s crest is taken from European models, and in this sense is a typical European shape.
At the same time, Sofia’s emblem is easily recognizable in a national context.
Taking the shield from the emblem, I wanted to stabilize it, by giving it a geometrical look. I decided to strip the shield from any symbolic associations, preserving only the idea of the contrasting colors in it. Free of the symbols and signs, the variety of colors most simply stands for different identities, meeting in the center of the shield. The idea of multiculturalism can be interpreted as various identities, and in this sense, various cultures can be represented by various colors.
Following the above definition of culture, I created three structures (models) for the three stages of the initiative itself. Together with the CMYG colors (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Green), those models were transformed into even smaller structures, similar to a display, consisting of 2x2, 3x3 and 5x5 shields along the x and y axes for the first, second, and third stage of the competition.
I am using the shield from Sofia’s crest – a heraldic combination of symbols and signs, representing the city’s identity. The city’s crest is the link between Bulgaria and Europe for several reasons:
1. It was created on the occasion of representing Sofia to the world – for the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900.
2. Crests or emblems are part of the heraldic tradition, and thus of Europe’s tradition of knowledge and historic origins.
3. The shape of the shield in Sofia’s crest is taken from European models, and in this sense is a typical European shape.
At the same time, Sofia’s emblem is easily recognizable in a national context.
Taking the shield from the emblem, I wanted to stabilize it, by giving it a geometrical look. I decided to strip the shield from any symbolic associations, preserving only the idea of the contrasting colors in it. Free of the symbols and signs, the variety of colors most simply stands for different identities, meeting in the center of the shield. The idea of multiculturalism can be interpreted as various identities, and in this sense, various cultures can be represented by various colors.
Following the above definition of culture, I created three structures (models) for the three stages of the initiative itself. Together with the CMYG colors (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Green), those models were transformed into even smaller structures, similar to a display, consisting of 2x2, 3x3 and 5x5 shields along the x and y axes for the first, second, and third stage of the competition.
The system grows richer (offering further options) in each subsequent stage, and so the logos give opportunities for communication with various events from the program for European capital of culture. Communication can be based on various themes; the examples I have given range from different types of culture, such as youth culture, alternative, etc., to individual events such as a Creative city (exhibitions, concerts, workshops), Diverse City (cultural exchange), City of Knowledge (history, science, etc.), City of Traditions (local culture), etc. The three logo structures, with their basic elements and colors, can be applied to any type of media, without interfering with its recognizability and unity.