Branding a Memorial: A World Trade Center's Branding Case Study

Just over a week ago marked the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Starting only a few years ago, New York City has undergone a world changing construction and rebranding effort to create the new World Trade Center. This construction effort will consist of five new skyscrapers (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 WTC), the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center, the World Trade Center Transportation Hub, 550,000 square feet of retail space at Westfield World Trade Center, and a performing arts center. 

Recently the impossible challenge of creating the branding identity of WTC fell upon the shoes of Landor Associates, a world famous San Fransisco based design agency. Thanks to the support of NYC, the World Trade Center committee, and a $3.57 million branding and signage contract, Landor found a solution to the problem.

You may look at this logo and think that it is just some stacked bars, something that a 2 year old can do. Although they may have been able to construct it, they couldn't put the amount of symbolism, thought, and detail into such a simplified logo. Some of the included symbolic parts of this design represent The tridents that were a design element of the base of the Twin Towers, The two light beams that were created as a tribute, The below-ground reach of the two reflecting pools, and representing all 5 new buildings as their own individual bars while creating one unified design. Landor's creative design could have just been a simple word mark, but they created a design that reflects the energy of the entire district; respecting its past while staying focused on the future.

This incredible feat is just a single example of how a logo can be more than a logo. Once the construction is complete, it will be exciting to see what Landor can come up with to unify their inspiring logo with the finalizing of the identity, signage, and advertising.