National Concert Hall Refresh

In 2022, responsibility for the promotion, management, and administration of the National Symphony Orchestra transferred from RTÉ to the National Concert Hall. We were appointed to refresh the concert hall identity and develop an overarching design system that would bring all of its parts together — the orchestra, choirs, and the newly established NCH Discover — under a single, cohesive visual language.

Over the following three years, we embarked on a close and collaborative journey with the NCH, developing a strategic identity system rooted in a central idea: Joy in harmony. This concept reflects both the emotional impact of experiencing a performance within the Hall and the shared ambition of its many parts to work seamlessly together — one music family, united by a common ethos.

The existing NCH acronym was refined to improve legibility and to function more effectively alongside the bilingual title. From this, a consistent approach was established for redesigning each of the individual wordmarks. Across all promotional material, a structured grid system was introduced, derived from the five lines and four spaces of musical notation — the fundamental framework of written music. Each line and space represents a different pitch, and in turn, helps organise content, with information moving rhythmically across the grid.

As part of the refresh, we designed a custom headline typeface, Ceolta, to create consistency, unity and recognition across all areas of communication. A vibrant colour palette was devised for use across the full range of applications, with each colour rigorously tested for legibility when paired exclusively with black typography. Careful attention was given to small but vital details: dates and times are positioned consistently, building familiarity for the audience, while imagery integrates seamlessly within the grid, regardless of scale, colour, or composition, a prerequisite as imagery comes from multiple sources and can vary significantly.

The work culminated in a comprehensive set of brand guidelines and a complete suite of print and digital design templates, providing the in-house team with a robust, flexible and workable system for all communications.