The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) is a leading institution on the Canadian cultural scene. Spread over five pavilions in the heart of Montreal, it is the largest museum in Quebec and the oldest in Canada, with a permanent collection of nearly 47,000 works. Aspiring to become a welcoming and essential place of life and exchange, the museum needed a renewed, more flexible and inviting visual identity.

The MBAM's previous logo, a multicolored “M”, was well anchored in the Montreal imagination. However, with its seven contrasting colors, it evoked more the image of a corporation than that of a cultural institution. What's more, the lack of a coherent brand platform compromised the museum's visibility and identity.

Our studio rethought this identity, retaining the heritage of the “M” while simplifying it. Its colors were removed in favor of a principle of transparency, allowing the logo to absorb those of its surroundings. In this way, it gives its colors back to the museum, rather than imposing its own. More flexible, this new emblem refocuses attention on the museum experience and its content. It also evokes the MBAM's core values of openness and inclusion.

We also developed a coherent brand platform with an adaptable and dynamic composition system. This approach ensures a uniform visual identity across all communication channels, while offering graphic flexibility adapted to the museum's different needs.

One of the key aspects of this redesign was typographic rationalization. The museum now uses a single typeface: MBAM Habitus, a typeface designed in Montreal. Elegant and highly legible, it strengthens the museum’s visual consistency across signage, printed materials, and digital interfaces.

The visual identity of the MBAM is now in line with its mission: a museum that is inclusive, accessible and rooted in contemporary culture. By strengthening the coherence of its communications and highlighting its exhibitions and collections, the MBAM is asserting its role as a cultural leader.