A commercial property goes upmarket

CHALLENGE

Signal a clear break with the past with a new visual identity for a long-established retail mall that’s relaunching as an upscale mixed-use corporate address.

SOLUTION

Once known as the Mirco Centre, the two decade old mall was beginning to look its age until a new owner invested in a major refurbishment. Along with an external facelift, a significant portion of the retail units were re-configured to house corporate spaces aimed at the burgeoning start-up sector.

Understanding that every brand should be underpinned by a good story, the developer told us of his belief that an arsenal was historically located close to the site on George Town’s fringes. Thus, Cannon Place was an apt name for the reborn corporate development.

Our research serendipitously turned up an obscure visual reference to the gun proof marks that were officially stamped on British cannon barrels to identify the foundries in which they’d been made. Our eyes fell on a remarkable monogram that originated from the Gunmaker’s Company of London which combined the capital letters C and P with a royal crown.

Happily, the client agreed it was simply too good to pass up. Creating a more modern interpretation of this device, we developed a comprehensive visual identity that works across the development’s signage and environmental graphic system.

RESULTS

Starting from the inside out, the developer is first applying the new identity to the corporate office space. As the exterior is being improved, the new signage and identity system will also be installed. Steadily, the public is adopting the property’s new name, and with it a new perception of what was once a tired, low-end address.