1/2
Playing
Greenspace
Create
Legacy
GS Create Legacy Create Legacy

The OWO

Home of legends

Authenticity and a respect for history

Read More
The OWO, formerly the Old War Office, is a new hospitality destination on London’s Whitehall comprising London’s first Raffles hotel along with 85 private residences.

Greenspace was tasked with developing the brand strategy, name and identity that would create a fitting legacy for the destination. Following many site visits, our key insight was to remain as authentic to the building’s history as possible. A look through The National Archives revealed thousands of letters from the Old War Office: almost always, the typist used the acronym OWO. This provided the inspiration for the wordmark and the foundation of the new brand.

Studying early 20th century Grotesk typefaces by British type foundries influenced our decision to collaborate with Colophon Foundry on a bespoke Grotesk typeface that would work, and be of lasting value to The OWO. The resulting typeface family — with standard characters and alternate flourished forms, for use across all applications, from physical signage to printed publications, and digital media for The OWO — is named 1906, after the year the building was first opened.

Framing The OWO brand identity is a system of typographic patterns designed to echo some of the sensitive work carried out within its walls, including morse code denoting the geographical co-ordinates of The OWO.
Output
Strategy
Naming
Visual Identity
Art Direction
Typeface design
Print
Digital
Motion
Wayfinding
Packaging

Typeface Collaboration
Colophon
Photography
Sam Bush
CGI
Grain
V1
Owo Case Gs Website 210928Owo Case Gs Website 210928 31
Owo Cgi Slideshow 01
Owo Cgi Slideshow 02
Owo Cgi Slideshow 03
Owo Cgi Slideshow 04
Full Screen
1/4
Owo Case Gs Website 210928 03
Owo Case Gs Website 210928 05
Owo Case Gs Website 210928 08
Owo Case Gs Website 210928 29
Owo Case Gs Website 210928 06
Full Screen
1/5
Owo Case Gs Website 210928 07Owo Case Gs Website 210928 07
1906 — a bespoke utilitarian grotesk typeface, inspired by a world-defining era.
Owo Case Gs Website 210928 10Owo Case Gs Website 210928 11
Owo Case Gs Website 210928 09Owo Case Gs Website 210928 09
Owo Case Gs Website 210928 12Owo Case Gs Website 210928 12
Owo Case Gs Website 210928 13Owo Case Gs Website 210928 38 Mobile
Owo Case Gs Website 210928 14
Owo Case Gs Website 210928 15
Owo Case Gs Website 210928 16
Owo Case Gs Website 210928 17
Full Screen
1/4
Owo Mobile Site 2500PxOwo Mobile Site 2500Px
Each and every brand encounter, physical or digital, is rooted in history and underpinned by authenticity.
Owo Case Gs Website 210928 15Owo Case Gs Website 210928 15
Owo Toiletries 03
Owo Toiletries 02
Owo Toiletries 01
Full Screen
1/3
Owo Case Gs Website 210928 17Owo Case Gs Website 210928 16
Owo Case Gs Website 210928 19Owo Case Gs Website 210928 19
Candid photography captures an illustrious yet vibrant neighbourhood.
Owo Case Gs Website 210928 25Owo Case Gs Website 210928 37 Mobile
Owo Case Gs Website 210928 24
Owo Case Gs Website 210928 21
Owo Sam Bush Slideshow 02
Owo Case Gs Website 210928 26
Owo Sam Bush Slideshow 08
Owo Sam Bush Slideshow 07
Owo Sam Bush Slideshow 03
Full Screen
1/7
Owo Case Gs Website 210928 28
Owo Case Gs Website 210928 282
Owo Case Gs Website 210928 283
Owo Sam Bush Slideshow 01
Owo Sam Bush Slideshow 04
Owo Case Gs Website 210928 286
Owo Sam Bush Slideshow 06
Owo Sam Bush Slideshow 05
Full Screen
1/8
Owo Case Gs Website 210928 32Owo Case Gs Website 210928 32
See more work
See more work
Anthology Lead Image 9X16 2500Px
Anthology
Bps Casestudy Website Tile Mobile
Battersea Power Station
16X9 Portrait
Raffles London
Tribeca Header Mobile
Tribeca London
Zha Lead Image 9X16 2000Px
Zaha Hadid Architects