Rethymnis Mansion, Syros
Visual Identity Direction for HISTORICAL FOLKLORE MUSEUM of Syros
History preview: Syros boasts a historical legacy that spans centuries. Many civilizations inhabited and vied for dominance here from prehistoric times, until Syros found its place within modern Greece in the 19th century. During the Ottoman era in Greece (14th century-1821 AD), Syros experienced a period of Venetian rule, under the auspices of the Pope. This fostered a rare blend of Orthodox and Catholic Christianity. Diplomatic ties with the East and the West, coupled with the island’s neutral stance during the Greek Revolution, created an environment of refuge for Greeks in search of solace. Thousands of refugees arrived on the island following the destruction of Chios, Psara, Kasos, Smyrna, Kydonia, and Rhodes. The new inhabitants settled on the island’s coastline just below the mountainous settlement, known as Syra. With rapid growth, the burgeoning new settlement harnessed the expertise of its enterprising inhabitants, who excelled in maritime commerce and shipbuilding. Early on, the island’s merchants became vital suppliers of essential goods to a resurgent Greece. In no time, all trade routes passed through the port of Syros, the town of Hermes.
The brothers Nikolaos Rethymnis (1886-1981) and Minas Rethymnis (1892-1977) were shipowners originating from a prosperous family in Kassos who lived and thrived in Syros. The Historical and Folklore Museum is currently nestled in the former residence of the Rethymnis family, a building constructed in the 1880s. It was granted by a descendant of the family and great benefactor of the Lyceum of Greek Women in Syros, Fifi Adrianopoulou, with the purpose of hosting the museum.
The basic concepts that prevailed when designing the museum's logo were the neoclasical architecture of the building, the move of the sails hit by the wind and the era's dominant typographic style which was mostly found in nautical books, maps and newspapers. Every version of the logo keeps the final S in latin form so as to prescribe the notion of multiculturalism.
Catalogue (p.1-15)
Carpet. Environmental graphic 240x240cm, as seen on catalogue's page 14 above.
The patterns were inspired by Rethymnis furniture that couldn't be conserved.
Catalogue (p.16-23)
