European Southern Observatory
— Identity

Shaping a functional but also experienceable corporate design with graphic, light and sound.

ESO is the foremost intergovernmental astronomy organization in Europe and the world's most productive astronomical observatory. ESO provides state-of-the-art research facilities to astronomers.

Functionality

The foundation of the identity is formed of a solid and objective document appearance. Celebrating the aesthetics of technology and the typographical value of data.

Graphic

The vastness and strangeness of the space as well as the enormous calibre of the technology were the starting points for the graphical language of ESO.

Sound by Angel Crespo

Technological Graphics — The VLT-Mirror with a diameter of 8.2 m and the ALMA-Mirror with a diameter of 12.0 m.

Space Graphics — Visual Interpretations of phenomenons such as a black hole or the birth of a star, help to form a certain feeling for the cosmos of ESO.

Light

Only in complete darkness the endlessness and calm elegancy of the stars can be seen. Exactly the same applies to the corporate design, only at night its full appearance comes to light.

Sound

The world of ESO is silent. No sound waves can travel through space. But radio waves can and nearly every object in the universe emits them. Also the planets in our solar system. Sounds that were never heard before help to shape a vague image of our universe, but also to shape a specific understanding for the world of ESO.

The following video contains the sound of Jupiter, captured by the Galileo spacecraft (NASA).

Plug in your headphones, sit down, listen and experience.

To emphasize the technical aspect of ESO, the sound files were transferred on mp3-modules to provide an adequate setting for a hearing experience.