St. Paul’s Cathedral new identity combines past and present
Pentagram created a masterpiece of historical references with a modern design approach to the famous London architectural masterpiece.
St. Paul’s Cathedral is perhaps London’s most iconic landmark, dominating the city’s skyline since its completion over 300 years ago. It was a vital religious site and a symbol of resilience during the Blitz, and has long played a significant role in defining Britain’s sense of identity.
Now, this famous old building has been visually renovated, reflecting both its rich history and its changing role as a cultural institution.
Designed by Sir Christopher Wren in the late 17th century, St Paul’s Church today functions as an active place of worship and one of the capital’s most visited landmarks. Its new brand, created by Pentagram, seeks to balance these dual roles with an eye to the future.
Commissioned as part of the cathedral’s renewed focus on accessibility and public engagement, the project goes beyond visual design to encompass strategy and language. Pentagram worked with strategists and writers to create an open tone of voice based on the idea that St Paul’s Cathedral is “for everyone”: a space for reflection, learning and gathering.
All images: St Paul’s Cathedral / Pentagram
The building’s materials inspire the visual identity itself. The newly created wordmark borrows typographic details found in the cathedral – from engravings in the stonework to references found in the crypt. Pentagram worked closely with stonemasons to explore how these historic forms could shape a contemporary sign without losing authenticity, thus uniting the visual language accumulated over centuries.
The raised letterforms in the wordmark recall archival references discovered in the cathedral library, while the monogram composed of symbols provides a flexible abbreviation in various fields. The typography further reinforces this balance of old and new: Dynamo’s Arizona Flare, with its classic letterforms, is complemented by a secondary font, Raleway, to enhance clarity in the main text and subheadings.
Meanwhile, color and imagery expand the identity into a more inclusive framework. A palette inspired by the cathedral’s interior architecture – from muted shades of stone to vibrant ceiling mosaics and wall coverings – enhances the sense of place, while photography captures both monumental scale and quieter, more intimate moments.
For Pentagram partner Domenic Lippa, the challenge lay in capturing something less obviously tangible. “The ambition for us at Pentagram, the strategists and writers, as well as the client themselves, was to create an identity that would be authentic, contemporary, flexible, and dynamic,” he says. “To be true for a unique building that exists so proudly in London, but also reflects many of the strengths of our country.”
He adds: “I genuinely believe the building has a special personality, and we needed to try to capture this.” The resulting system is intentionally adaptable, designed to evolve alongside the Cathedral’s activities and audiences. “We hope we have created a fluid and flexible identity that will feel appropriate to the cathedral,” Lippa continues, “but like the building itself, we hope it will surprise and delight.”
This renewed brand positions St. Paul’s Cathedral not as a surviving, lifeless monument, but as a living community center that continues to shape the city around it.
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All images courtesy of Pentagram and St. Paul’s Cathedral.
