The KLE Centenary Museum is a living tribute to 100 years of KLE Society’s rich history, designed as a chronological narrative that extends beyond the restored building into the landscape. Housed within an 80-year-old basalt stone and laterite structure in Belgaum’s KLE campus, the museum blends heritage preservation with contemporary design. The project required a compelling brand identity that would enhance the museum’s storytelling, creating an engaging experience for students, academicians, and visitors alike while highlighting the architectural brilliance of the restored and newly added structures.
The primary challenge was to create a visual identity and display design that harmonized with the museum’s architectural transformation. The design needed to respect the historical essence of the restored structure while integrating with the modern steel and timber roof, curvilinear staircases, and layered exhibition spaces. Another challenge was ensuring seamless navigation and engagement, making the static museum space feel dynamic through thoughtful branding, exhibition graphics, and digital extensions.
To reflect the blending of history and modernity, we designed a brand identity inspired by the museum’s architectural elements, incorporating textural motifs from basalt and laterite, a sophisticated earthy color palette, and elegant, heritage-style typography. The visual storytelling approach extended to wayfinding, exhibit graphics, and multimedia displays, ensuring an immersive visitor experience. The logo and marketing materials were crafted to symbolize growth, legacy, and education, aligning with KLE’s values to attracting global historians, researchers, and students.
The KLE Centenary Museum now stands as an architectural and cultural landmark, seamlessly blending its historical essence with modern storytelling. The new visual identity enhances visitor engagement, making navigation through the interlinked pavilions, mezzanine levels, and exhibition spaces more intuitive and immersive. Through a cohesive design approach, the project successfully preserved KLE’s 100-year legacy while embracing a contemporary, engaging experience for generations to come.
