Brand Identity For A Peckham Music And Culture Venue
Only Studio made Peckham's old landmark feel newly alive.
Only Studio created the brand identity, campaign and digital presence for Palais, a new night-time venue in Peckham housed in the former Jones & Higgins department store. The project repositions a long-closed local landmark as a contemporary home for music, culture and community in South London. The identity centres on a bespoke blackletter logotype and a typographic system led by Portrait, combining historical character with a fresh contemporary edge. Only Studio designed the system to work across signage, wayfinding, posters, print and digital applications, giving the venue a clear and recognisable presence. Rooted in place and shaped by the energy of Peckham, the work helps Palais launch with confidence while establishing a visual language intended to grow alongside its role in new music culture.
Insights
- Only Studio’s main move was to reclaim the former Jones & Higgins department store’s cultural heritage, turning Palais into more than a night-time venue: the identity ties music, community, and place together.
- The brand system pairs a bespoke blackletter logotype with a contemporary serif type system, creating a tension between renaissance-inspired heritage cues and a modern, energetic feel.
- The venue sits in Peckham, and the design explicitly anchors itself to that location and landmark history, using the revived building’s story as part of the brand narrative.
- The visual language was designed to be confident rather than nostalgic, balancing heritage references with a contemporary expression suitable for an entertainment venue.
