Generational Transition
Artistic directors come and go in Zurich. The opera and the Geissbühlers remain.
A year ago, the new opera house team led by future director Andreas Homoki began its work and put the branding budget out to new bid. Nadine Geissbühler and her team developed a concept that defied the unwritten rule that a newly put-out-to-bid account never stays with its original agency: Studio Geissbühler won the pitch. The results are now on display: The Zurich Opera House has a new look—from the logo and typography to the poster design and even the classified ads.
In the future, the focus will be less on individual poster art—as has been the case for the past 37 years under Domenic Geissbühler’s concept—«Times have changed; the goal was to create a unified visual identity. Formal recognizability is now the priority,» says Nadine Geissbühler regarding the new management team’s mandate. The goal was to create a poster concept that could be implemented independently of any specific production or date. «The goal was to bring the opera into the present day.» Nadine Geissbühler and her team drew on the power of symbolism to bring the world of opera into the present. And here’s how it works: A relevant essence is distilled from the opera’s content and transformed into a fitting symbol of the present day. As is so often the case, the themes revolve around love, power, jealousy, and death.
External development, internal implementation
«Everything that’s already on display was designed by the Opera House based on our concept. And in the future, too, all designs will be produced in-house by the Opera House itself—in collaboration with the artist and illustrator François Berthoud,» says Nadine Geissbühler, explaining the new approach to collaboration. The designs can be viewed on the website www.opernhaus.ch. And what does the longtime, multi-award-winning designer of the previous posters think of the new concept? Domenic Geissbühler: «Many people ask me about it and draw comparisons. But I think the new approach is very successful. A clear direction.» Nevertheless, Domenic Geissbühler’s work is far from forgotten. A book featuring his collected works is set to be published this spring.
Andreas Panzeri
