The Schweizerische Landesausstellung, Lausanne, commonly known as Expo 64, was the fifth Swiss national exhibition, held from 30 April to 25 October 1964 on the shores of Lake Geneva.[1] Its visual identity was created by Basel-based graphic designer Armin Hofmann, whose signet was selected by an expert commission from among 207 proposals submitted by 116 designers.[2]
Design and History
Hofmann, born in Winterthur in 1920, was a central figure in the Swiss Style of graphic design and taught at the Basel School of Arts and Crafts from 1947.[3] His Expo 64 mark was one of several signets he created during his career, alongside marks for the Basel Bach-Chor and the St. Jakobshalle.[4]
The signet was chosen in 1960, during the preparatory phase of the exhibition. A Swiss newsreel from September 1960 documents the commission’s selection of Hofmann’s “clear, convincing” image mark.[2] The mark also appeared on a set of four Swiss postage stamps issued in September 1963 to promote the upcoming exhibition, with Hofmann credited as the stamp designer.[5]
Meaning and Symbolism
The mark combines the letter “E” (for Expo) with a Swiss cross, allowing both forms to coexist in a single figure. Design critic Hamish Muir, writing for Grafik, described the open ends of the Swiss cross at the bottom and left as the “real strokes of genius”: they permit the forms of the E and the plus sign to coexist while letting white space flow through the combined form. Muir characterized the result as an “open-ended maze for visual exploration” that keeps the viewer engaged, with the contrast between positive and negative form held in perfect balance.[6]
Muir also noted that the logotype appears “drawn rather than constructed,” unencumbered by a rigid grid or geometric system, a quality that distinguishes Hofmann’s work from many of his Swiss contemporaries.[6]
Typography and Design
Hofmann’s design philosophy favored reduction, often restricting himself to a single color and a single sign.[7] The Expo 64 mark exemplifies this approach, functioning as a monochrome symbol that works through the interplay of black and white, foreground and background.[6]
The Swiss Federal Archives hold administrative records from the exhibition’s preparation, including the selection process for the signet.[8] The exhibition itself drew more than 12 million visitors during its six-month run.[9]
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