Pentagram has designed a new visual identity for the oldest and largest art museum in Tennessee. The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art will become the Memphis Art Museum when they open their new state-of-the art, 122,000 sq ft building designed by architects Herzog & de Meuron on the banks of the Mississippi River. The identity will accompany this major expansion that will move the museum to the heart of Downtown Memphis.

The new logo is designed to be dynamic, modulating both vertically and horizontally. The logo letter forms are derived from the straight and angled architecture of the new building. The acronym “MAM” also enables the logo to be recognizable in so many different forms. The logotype exists in only one weight.

The identity provides a host of new colors and applications. While the typography looks eccentric, the system is actually highly controlled, and the letters are programmed to remain legible as they expand and contract.

Founded in 1916 and currently located in Overton Park, Memphis’ art museum is home to a collection of 10,000 works spanning 5,000 years of world history. The new logo and name are part of broader developments at the museum, which will be a central component of a riverfront redevelopment plan that aims to reorient Memphis towards the river.