Rethinking the Identity of the Gouffre de Padirac by Studying the Past

Branding, Architecture & Heritage
Le gouffre de Padirac
Padirac, France, 2016

The Gouffre de Padirac is the monumental entrance to a natural cavity opened to the public 130 years ago. At the bottom of the cave, 337 feet underground, flows a river that stretches between a succession of vaulted rooms.

We decided to develop the site’s universe in order to capitalize on the elements put in place over the past 100 years. We drew a font that is specific to the Gouffre de Padirac, inspired by the existing nameplate. The new typeface design allowed us to develop a distinctive font.

In addition to the font design, we developed a seal based on a 19th century engraving. The illustrative sign tells the story of this underground adventure, and allows multiple variations on merchandising objects. The guidelines are also used on all the directional and didactic signage panels to explain the itinerary of the visit.