Established in 1891, the New York Botanical Garden is a museum of living plant collections located in the Bronx NY, and is one of the oldest and largest botanical gardens in the world. To coincide with its 125th anniversary, the institution has introduced a new identity designed by Pentagram partner Natasha Jen. The goal of the project was not to manufacture a wholly new brand, but rather to cultivate clarity and logic in how the existing elements should be used — to refine the brand, and in the process, create a logo that felt natural to the institution.
The program sharpens the graphics to their essentials, revealing an accessible, elegant identity that also reflects the center’s long history and scientific capabilities. And since the New York Botanical Garden name and full logotype were long and a challenge to use, graphically, the familiar “NYBG,” has been crafted into the new logotype for more flexibility.
The approach, says Jen, also lends itself to the modular aspect of the new identity system, where the simple structure of the logo is echoed in the grid-based design of applications.
