Vornado Realty Trust, The PENN District and PENN 1

New York, NY
Brand Strategy, Brand Identity and Brand Touchpoints

A+I rebranded Vornado’s expansive 15-building, 13-million-square-foot mega-complex as The PENN District – creating a new identity for a newly unified destination that is reimagining the future of work in the heart of Midtown.


The strategy was to position The PENN District as a connected ecosystem of experiences, tailored to the modern worker and inclusive of the wider community. The new consumer-facing brand unifies the once-disconnected buildings to transform this much-maligned neighborhood into a destination of choice.

We developed The PENN District’s brand masterplan and identity, establishing an adaptable system for building nomenclature and creating a collection of distinct sub-brands.

In service to this brand strategy, we reimagined One Penn Plaza as PENN 1. PENN 1’s logo design and brand guidelines were extended to consider a 360 user experience. From stationary and business cards to digital assets, wayfinding, and signage, we brought the new brand to life. We raised brand awareness and began to create a destination even amid construction, integrating the new brand into marketing materials and collateral. 

Three branded destinations were also designed to further the dynamic customer experience at PENN 1: WorkLife, a workplace-as-service brand, and The Landing and Office Hours, two food and beverage offerings.

From the signage at the building’s apex to its implementation at its various street entries, we shaped the building’s physical presence by both activating the street-level experience and affirming PENN 1’s prominence in New York’s City’s skyline.

Project Team: Peter Knutson, Neil Bartley, Naveem Ahbab, Wilfredo Rodriguez-Joglar, Kelsey Boyd, Javier Moreno, Chance Baldauf

Photography: Magda Biernat

 

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