As a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the heart of Antwerp, the museum carries strong historical authority. For a long time, its identity focused primarily on the printing workshop. While that legacy remains essential, the museum’s perspective has shifted. Today, the emphasis lies on the house itself: a place where multiple generations lived and worked, and where stories were created, shared and passed on, both literally and figuratively.

The challenge was not whether the identity needed to change, but how it could better express what the museum already is. How could a historic institution feel relevant, welcoming and alive, without looking or behaving like heritage frozen in time?

The new identity starts from a clearer positioning: Museum Plantin-Moretus as a historical house full of layered narratives. This thinking also shaped the brand values and manifesto, which frames the museum as a family, a host and a keeper of stories, ending with a simple invitation: Welcome to the family.

That shift is reflected clearly in the logo. The former logo was an iconographic reference to the printing workshop emblem, De Gouden Passer. For the new identity, we moved away from illustration and towards a strong, timeless mark. The new monogram is based on the historical family emblem found in and on many of the books in the collection. By transforming the original PN into a PM monogram, the logo connects the identity directly to the Plantin Moretus family, rather than to the business alone.

Typography reinforces this approach. Rather than creating a custom revival of Plantin, we chose to work with Martina Plantijn by Klim Type Foundry, released in 2023. This contemporary reinterpretation of Plantin not only brings historical depth into the present, but also serves as a subtle tribute to the women of the Plantin Moretus families, often the silent forces behind the family business. The serif typeface is balanced with a sans serif companion, creating clarity, contrast and flexibility across applications.

The color system is equally rooted in history, without feeling nostalgic. Black is used for text, a direct reference to the fact that everything was once printed in black ink. Vermilion serves as the primary color. Historically, this pigment was used as a contrasting ink alongside black text. Christoffel Plantin imported vermilion from the mercury mines in Spain and invested heavily in it, as the pigment had to be freshly prepared due to its effect on the drying of linseed oil based inks. The secondary colors reference different centuries in which the family business was active, allowing the palette to subtly carry time and continuity.

Throughout the identity, the guiding principle remains the same: heritage does not have to look like heritage. By combining historical references with contemporary choices in typography, color and composition, the visual system feels current, confident and open.

The result is an identity that brings Museum Plantin-Moretus closer to what it truly is today. A living house of stories, craftsmanship and connection. Deeply rooted in history, yet spoken in a contemporary voice.