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Adventures in Rebranding: Oakland Museum of California

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Art-themed architecture can be big and bold, or stark and subtle. In mid-century California, Brutalism was the design edict of choice, and now area code 510 is bringing it back into the public eye with a renovation of the Oakland Museum of California.

Civic architects Mark Cavegnero Associates are retrofitting the existing structure with modernized gallery spaces and open interiors. A cleaned-up new logo is part of the museum’s reinvented aesthetic identity. Take a look at the relook below the cut.

omca_logo

As reported on Brand New, the new logo is “more oak, less cal,” meaning that the fusty historical connotations of California history are downplayed in a brand mark that utilizes a generic sans-serif font in a blocky, letterpress formation. The old logo stressed the state over the city of Oakland, a nod to an expansive historical collection that includes artifacts like vintage Levi’s, Grateful Dead posters, and Native American baskets.

OMCA

As for the building itself, the $58 million retrofit —which will be unveiled this spring — raises the low profile of the concrete building locals dubbed “the bunker,” creating two light-filled galleries out of interior courtyards and adding a brushed stainless-steel canopy for the central staircase.

We know you’ve got an opinion, so tell us what you think of the new OMCA logo in the comments.

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