Edinburgh Corn Exchange

Originally built in 1910 as a bustling grain market, the Edinburgh Corn Exchange has evolved into one of the city’s most recognisable live event spaces. Today the venue hosts everything from major concerts to weddings, and corporate events. Its rich heritage makes it a unique part of the city’s cultural landscape.

The Challenge

Over the years the venue had operated under multiple identities, most recently as the O2 Academy. This had created confusion across signage, communications and how the venue was referred to locally by customers, diluting the Corn Exchange’s unique connection to the city.

Our challenge was to revitalise the brand to provide a new visual language that would launch the venue as a true multi-use space that better connected with its audience.

Our Approach

We began by establishing a clear positioning – a historic music venue, live event and function space. Guided by the concept “Where Edinburgh Comes Alive”, the brand celebrates the Corn Exchange as a place where the city gathers for shared experiences.

Inspiration was drawn from research into the cultural significance of these historic community spaces found across the UK. We also took visual references from signage details within the old trading halls themselves. From this, we developed a logotype and supporting monogram that reinterpreted these references in a contemporary way.

The Outcome

The new identity re-establishes the venue as a distinctive cultural space within the city and celebrates its importance to Edinburgh. By connecting the venue with its heritage and introducing a confident contemporary voice, the Edinburgh Corn Exchange can now promote and host any event under a single cohesive identity.