Brand for the Karelian quarter Talojarvi by Barents Group
We developed a cosy, warm brand for the Talojarvi residential complex on the shore of Lake Onega, by the highly experienced developer Barents Group.
Talojarvi is a confident look into the future, grounded in eternal values embodied in the surface of the lake, in the light of the northern sun, in the whimsical outlines of the clouds. These are historical roots that have sent out new shoots in the contemporary look and "filling" of the living spaces.
Talojarvi is a territory of the future, a new centre of meaning for Petrozavodsk, opening up a new perspective for its residents and for the whole city. A comfortable living space, created for residents and open to guests, existing in unity with nature and the genius loci.
Petrozavodsk is a city on the shore of Lake Onega. For a long time, its residents' access to the water was limited to the embankment of the same name in the very centre; the rest of the shoreline is occupied by industrial enterprises.
As part of the strategic project for the development of Petrozavodsk's waterfront areas, City by the Water, Barents Group acted as the developer of a new, environmentally clean residential district. At the same time, it was necessary to shed the image of an industrial site, which was neither sufficiently established in the perception of local residents, nor unique in the competitive field, nor relevant for a prestigious mixed-use complex.
Current trends state that housing is now perceived as a fully-fledged living environment: the coronavirus crisis forced Russians to reconsider their priorities. Integrated development has become the main factor in choosing a home; moreover, thanks to the trend of gradually rising expectations, housing has turned from a purchase made "once and for a lifetime" into an object of repeated choice. Meanwhile, the pandemic-driven demand for suburban housing has sharply increased the appeal of City by the Water: a green spot by the lake lets you immerse yourself in a natural atmosphere within an urban context.
Analysis of the target audience showed that the core audience of City by the Water is open-minded traditionalists. The typical traits of "traditionalists", an orientation towards control, accumulation, stability and protecting their resources, are combined here with a readiness to embrace contemporary cultural values and alternative points of view.
As for the image of the industrial site, expert interviews showed that the Petrozavodsk House-Building Plant no longer plays a symbolic role for the city's residents. The industrial heritage is perceived either neutrally or with apprehension.
It was decided to position the City by the Water area as a territory of the future, a new centre of meaning for Petrozavodsk, opening up a new perspective for its residents and for the whole city. A comfortable living space, created for residents and open to guests, existing in unity with nature and the genius loci.
The horizon became the brand's metaphor. Gazing at the horizon, we are in harmony with the world around us. In this calm, balanced, almost meditative state, we contemplate the surface of the water, dream and design our own future. The horizon line is accessible to the chosen few, those who are the first to raise their eyes towards the new. Not necessarily the bravest (the Karelian shore gives us firm ground under our feet), but the most open and perceptive.
The shore of Lake Onega is the focal point of meaning for the people of Karelia. This is where the first, most far-sighted and courageous, creative and visionary inhabitants of these lands settled. A new day dawned over the lake, and, contemplating its smooth and calm surface, people gained confidence, were fired with initiative and devoted themselves to building the future.
Over time, part of the shore of Lake Onega established itself as the centre of city life, while part was closed off from residents by an industrial curtain. City by the Water gives back to Petrozavodsk and its residents their traditional source of inspiration: the majestic nature of Karelia.
The name TALOJÄRVI combines the warmth of home and the pull of Lake Onega, expressed in the language of the ancestors. Thanks to this rootedness and the notes of Karelian identity familiar since childhood, residents feel that the public spaces are "their own" too. They will be glad to show them to friends and acquaintances, as if embodying the tradition of "family visiting", suguvastavundu, but in a new interpretation.
The brandline "The nature of your future" establishes an unbreakable link between roots that stretch to the far horizon and deep into the centuries, and the contemporary perspective opening up before residents. The descriptor "City by the Water" describes the scale of the project, which goes beyond the stereotypical bounds of a quarter or even an integrated development area, as well as its main functional advantage: the view of Lake Onega.
The visual concept embodies the harmony between the structure of the city and the painting of nature. The clarity of dawn, the clarity of the lake's surface, the clarity of every element depicted. In the abstract and unpredictable play of colours in the Karelian sky, the sun, the curve of the shore and the horizon line all took on tangible form. The composition fits into a harmonious circle, closed like a lake, while the semicircle of dawn, which became the basis of the signature pattern, the lines of the clouds and the organic forms support the development of the logo into a full-scale corporate identity.
The "natural", calm colour scheme continues the general line of the concept, while the smooth hand-drawn style of the illustrations and patterns references the categories of relaxation and tranquillity that are significant for the project and that TALOJÄRVI lets you experience.
