Shaping Croydon

Shaping Croydon: Architecture and Ambition explores the ideas, buildings and ambitions that have shaped Croydon’s town centre from the post-war period to today. Bringing together contemporary photography, archival material, objects and interpretation, the Museum of Croydon exhibition considers the borough’s evolving skyline and identity, while looking ahead to how its built environment might continue to change.

Building on the wider Museum of Croydon visual identity, we developed a bold and flexible visual system that could support and connect the exhibition’s diverse mix of material, providing a clear framework while allowing the individual exhibits and stories to take centre stage.

The design was developed to work across a range of applications, from large-scale graphics and interpretation to captions and a timeline, while creating a clear journey through the gallery and allowing each element to retain its own character.

Inspired by Croydon’s tiled surfaces, gridded façades and stacked architectural signage – including the distinctive signs of Norfolk House and Davis House – we developed a modular system based on a 130mm square unit. Used at its smallest scale for individual captions, the unit builds in multiples to create larger panels and graphic elements throughout the exhibition, as well as adapting across promotional and marketing materials.

Four colours identify the exhibition’s four sections, helping visitors navigate the space, while a continuous line acts as a horizon around the gallery, with images and interpretation arranged upwards from it – subtly echoing Croydon’s ever-changing skyline.

The exhibition is structured around Croydon’s skyline, identity and future, with a dedicated Croydon Urban Room section inviting visitors to consider what might come next. Its existing identity was integrated into the wider graphic system, creating a distinct space that still feels part of the exhibition as a whole.

Accessibility and clarity underpin the design throughout, with strong hierarchy, generous typography and a consistent graphic language helping visitors navigate a large and varied collection of material. The result is an adaptable exhibition identity that takes its cues directly from Croydon’s built environment – bringing cohesion to an exhibition that celebrates the borough’s diverse architectural past, present and future.