Teatro Regio ParmaBrand Identity2024
The new visual identity system design for Teatro Regio di Parma arises various assumptions that need to be quoted. Indeed, it is fundamental to recognise the role of such Italian cultural institution nowadays. Especially relating to territorial identity and national intangible heritage. Teatro Regio di Parma (TRP) is one of the most important Opera Houses, with a very memorable history. Today's challenges, for an institution such as this, are to conquer a wider audience, the cultural consumption of new generations and attractiveness for stakeholders and investors.
Concept:bcpt associati-Design director:Marco Tortoioli Ricci-Project management:Simona Zaccaro-Designers:Marco Tortoioli RicciAchraf Hakim HamGianluca SandroneVladimiro Todini-Type design:Marco Tortoioli RicciAchraf Hakim HamGianluca Sandrone
Web Designer:Graziana Dammacco-Motion Graphic designer:Thea CorporaAlberto Notarianni-Sound design:Nicola Cappelletti-Print:Graphital, Parma (PR)-Illustration Regio Young:Lucia Biancalana
The first aim to be achieved is a distinctive recognisability of TRP brand. A visual identity capable of making its distinctive mark in a complex scenario. Therefore, our extensive project starts from here! By rethinking the entire visual grammar of the Theater, as a brand. The pictogram has been refined through a process of gradual modification, initially resembling the original one before gradually becoming more abstract. Then, we achieved a conceptual synthesis by replacing the heraldic 'leaves' with two glyphs taken from Bodoni's alphabet. In addition to performing an 'ideal' containment function, it should also be noted that this relates to the shape of the theatrical basin or musical pauses.
Secondly, the typographic component. We preserved the type composition in Bodonian typeface, but we wanted to introduce a variation in the proportion between the substantial thickness of the letters and the slender rods. We therefore designed a custom version of the Bodoni. The Teatro Regio Parma logotype was then composed with the new font.
Another key element of the identity system is the TRP communication ecosystem. In fact, the Teatro Regio produces many activities; in addition to the Opera Season, Parma Danza, the Concert Season, Festival Verdi, Verdi Off, there are also the Training Academies, activities for schools with Regio Young, etc. We therefore developed a 'brand architecture' capable of personalising any communication tool while maintaining its recognizability. The layout framework is formed by the initials T, R, P, placed in the vertices, and the new Theater brand, positioned centrally. A visual architecture that can be applied in any situation, and which is essential, effective and contemporary.
To facilitate the identification of the different productions, we have implemented a systematic colour coding for all activities. With regard to the chromatic palette, while maintaining the city's official colours -yellow and blue-, we undertook a philological investigation to 'rediscover' the city's original yellow. However, research findings suggest that the colour 'yellow' has never been 'original'. With the exception of the colouring of the buildings in the historic centre, which were originally whitewashed and subsequently, due to the evolution of pigments, tinged with the current golden hues. We therefore selected a range of yellow variations, from warmer to cooler shades, as a design choice that implies a visual identity management capable of having slightly different colour registers to recall precisely the historical layering leading to the idealisation of the city colour as we understand it today.
