Paignton Picture House

A cinema brought back to life
Opened in 1914, Paignton Picture House is one of the UK’s oldest surviving purpose-built cinemas — a historic venue shaped by generations of audiences and local memory. Plans to restore and reopen the building offered the chance not only to safeguard its heritage, but to re-establish it as a vibrant cultural space for the community. Our role was to develop a visual identity and communication framework to support this next chapter — honouring the cinema’s past while signalling renewed energy and ambition.

  • Brand strategy
    Visual identity
    Heritage-sensitive design Campaign materials
    Print & digital design
    Ongoing creative support

  • Big Ups
    Paignton Picture House

Working closely with the Paignton Picture House team, the identity began with the building itself. An original carved monogram discovered on the façade became the starting point for the new mark — carefully redrawn and refined to create a contemporary logo rooted directly in the cinema’s fabric.

A flexible 6×6 grid underpins the identity system. Designed to shift and adapt as needed, it provides the freedom to explore different compositions while retaining the clarity and discipline of a modular brand framework.

While the core identity provides a strong framework, it was designed to flex for younger audiences. Brighter colour, bold typography and playful compositions allow the brand to connect with school-age visitors and families, while the underlying grid and graphic language keep everything recognisably part of the same system.