The Metropolitan Museum of Art, commonly known as The Met, adopted a new visual identity in 2016 that replaced a logo in use since 1971. The current mark is a stacked wordmark reading “THE MET” in red capital letters, with the words “THE” placed atop “MET.” The letters are connected through bespoke ligatures and deliberately combine serif and sans serif letterforms. The museum described the logo as “an original drawing, a hybrid that combines and connects serif and sans serif, classical and modern letterforms,” reflecting the scope of its collection and the connections within it. The new designs went into use beginning March 1, 2016. [1]
Design and History
The previous logo, an “M” inscribed in geometric forms, had been in use since 1971. It was based on a woodcut by Fra Luca Pacioli, the Renaissance mathematician who taught Leonardo da Vinci, and evoked the proportional geometry of Leonardo’s “Vitruvian Man.” [2] [3]
The rebrand was developed by the global branding firm Wolff Olins in collaboration with a cross-disciplinary team at The Met, including Head of Design Susan Sellers and Senior Vice President for Marketing Cynthia Round. The project took two and a half years. [4] [5] The logo itself was created in partnership with British type designer Gareth Hague. [6]
The museum explained that the new identity was designed to create greater clarity and consistency across its locations, including The Met Fifth Avenue, The Met Breuer, and The Met Cloisters, as well as online. The decision to lead with the common-use name “The Met” was intended to make the institution feel more welcoming and accessible. [1] [5]
The launch drew significant criticism, most notably from New York Magazine architecture critic Justin Davidson, who called the logo “a typographic bus crash.” [4] [2]
Meaning and Symbolism
Wolff Olins described the logo as “a unique drawing inspired by the idea of making ‘connections'” that helps users connect ideas across time and culture, across the collection, and between themselves and the art they interact with. The connected letterforms combine serif and sans serif elements as “a deliberate move to incorporate both classical and modern ideas, a nod to the fact that The Met spans 5,000 years of art.” [5]
The museum’s own brand statement echoed this intent, noting that the logo “no longer relies on symbols” and instead is based on the commonly used name “The Met,” which “has an immediacy that speaks to all audiences.” [1]
Typography and Design
The identity system includes two new typefaces: a serif face called Austin and a bespoke sans serif typeface from Klim Type Foundry that riffs on the foundry’s Calibre design. [4] The broader system also includes a rich new color palette and a series of diamond-shaped icons that The Met calls “ornaments,” used across maps, signage, and digital platforms. [4]
Red was chosen as a significant part of the new identity because, according to Wolff Olins, “it embodies passion and vitality, and has done across time and culture.” [5]
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