A once derelict, 1910s, toilet block in the heart of Wellington’s party central, Courtenay Place, has been turned into a micro roastery and coffee bar by the successful business owners, the Bresolin Brothers. The brothers, approached us to create a new brand for this exciting venture. Local legends Athfield Architects were chosen to realise the design potential of this iconic location and their design adds contemporary materials and shape to the original structure.
Researching the history of the original building and the aesthetic values of the period was our first task whilst simultaneously keeping the client’s intentions for the fit-out and the personality of their other existing businesses in mind.
Micro roasting is a daily task, done by hand, boutique style. The 1920s social undertone of the ‘working man’ and the consequent appreciation for craftsmanship, the trading of goods as a luxury in the days of long sea journeys and the hard-working innocence of the times, married well with the boutique nature of the business. The story of those hard working souls is what we encapsulated into the brand.
The name 'Gentlemen's Beans' evokes stoicism, and confidence, concepts strongly considered in the brand’s development.
Entering an already saturated coffee market challenged us to find and represent the uniqueness in the space, location and journey of coffee from seed, to roastery, to cup, in the brand.
With all the research and concepts under our belt, we developed a word mark which stood strong, as well as evoking the impressions of craftsmanship.The typefaces used in the logo were re-drawn by hand to reflect a human presence and aged authenticity.The colour palette complements the brick tones of the original structure, as well as encourages desire for the taste of a delicious brew.The wood-cut styled logo mark tells a story about the 'original gentlemen' smoking a cigarette after a long, hard days work.The use of the contemporary materials, metallic inks and dimensional lettering, alongside the historical ambience of stamped coffee bags and the brand’s character, creates a harmonious balance of aesthetics from the old to the new, complementing the Arcitecture of the structure.
