Schoolhouse is an identity refresh of one of Dublin’s best loved watering holes – The Schoolhouse Hotel & Restaurant.

 Located beside the canal in leafy Ballsbridge, The Schoolhouse was, in its day, a favourite spot for after work drinks, large social gatherings and casual dining. In recent years and especially due to the pandemic, it had lost its way with regards to its offering and its existing identity looked tired and dated.

Working closely with the owners, we quickly identified what made The Schoolhouse such a special place and the audience they wanted to engage with and appeal to.

With the pandemic in its stride, the outdoor area was a big draw, especially during the Summer months where it could cater comfortably and safely for larger groups in their surrounding lush, green space, right in the heart of the city. The original building itself was St. Stephen’s National School dating back to 1859. It’s full of charming quirks and oddities with beautiful original period features especially within the bar areas and hotel itself. We wanted to capture this charm through a set of specially curated shots.

The identity itself is a contemporary take on the history of the building. With its bar food offering being another key differentiator, we set about bringing the story of Schoolhouse to life through its key touchpoints – website, social media, signage and print. Mostly monochromatic, representative of school blackboards with a pop of bright green, typography is kept to a minimum. Items like menus are set on square grids mimicking schoolbooks of old. A set of hand-drawn illustrations were created to appeal to a younger cohort and bring a playfulness to the identity.