Over the years, we’ve worked on some great projects that have never seen the light of day. Brand identities that have never been recognised by others, that have never been realised. Two consumer mobile brands, a car wash, a London college, an online health insurer, a speciality bakery, and most recently, a hotel brand created around its location in Stoneybatter, Dublin. Sadly, they’ve been confined to the archive. We know they exist, but it’s like having a secret love child you daren’t tell anyone about.

Burben is the name we proposed and worked with for a planned hotel situated on Benburb Street in Dublin 7. The site has subsequently been sold to a hotel chain, so no need for a new brand. So, we thought we’d share this one before its filed away amongst the rest of the studio’s forgotten concepts.

The inspiration for the identity came from the gritty, dark, yet functional aesthetics of the area. At the time Benburb Street was part of the largest red light district in Europe and as such, boudoir references such as fishnets and tassels informed the visual language along with the materials synonymous with Dublin 7 …metal/brick/leather.

The objective was to create a brand that resonates with millennials and the business traveller, that connects to the industrial heritage of the area and which works holistically, bringing the brand to life within its interiors and thereby creating a richer customer experience.

Photographer reference: David Jazay
CGI & interior reference: Cantrell & Crowley Architects