Context
I was tasked with a rebranding for a new hotel purchased by Cliste Hospitality in Belfast. The name “Gasworks” derives from the area the hotel is located in Belfast. For over 150 years the Gasworks was the central power source for rapid economic growth that put Belfast at the heart of Victorian Commerce. Coal gas created on the site powered the city’s street lights and the huge number of factories that were central to the city’s economic success at the time. It’s profits were a major source of funding for building Belfast City Hall. By the end of the Second World War, 120,000 customers were being supplied with gas. By the 1960s, production had declined and the site stopped gas production in 1985.
Brief
Brief requested a brand inspired by the history of the gasworks area, while still keeping a modern and contemporary edge.
Process
Firstly, researched the history of the gasworks thoroughly learning about the legacy of the area. In particular, I studied photos, both past and present, of the gasworks and the surrounding area. I took inspiration from this photography to drive the design into a modern industrial direction, as seen in my moodboard above. This allowed me to answer the brief by staying true to the hotel’s historic routes, while bringing the look and feel forward into the modern era.
Firstly, researched the history of the gasworks thoroughly learning about the legacy of the area. In particular, I studied photos, both past and present, of the gasworks and the surrounding area. I took inspiration from this photography to drive the design into a modern industrial direction, as seen in my moodboard above. This allowed me to answer the brief by staying true to the hotel’s historic routes, while bringing the look and feel forward into the modern era.
Challenges
On one of the biggest challenges of this project was executing the tower illustration. This illustration was based on the main gasworks building itself. The structure in real life is long and horizontal, which didn’t mesh well with the follow of the typographic logo. Focusing just on the tower section of the building allowed me to keep the integrity of the motif in tact, and keep the feel of the piece fresh and modern.
Conclusion
This was the successful concept chosen for the hotel, the client loved the bold modern take on the brief, that still respected the historic roots of the Belfast Gasworks.
