The Alexandra Pier, under the direction of the Montreal Port Authority (MPA), planned to revamp as part of a major architecture project. They wanted a new cruise ship terminal that serves as a massive complex where Montrealers, tourists and passengers meet. We were tasked to design and reposition the pier’s identity to signal this change. Our strategic challenge was to bring the MPA, who often communicates to businesses, closer to tourists and Montrealers. We had to find a new name that would appeal to the general public, and give this reimagined space a strong, welcoming identity, making it a popular attraction in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. A project of this scale needed impactful branding that celebrates its history and propels it into the future.

We created a simple, welcoming name to designate this new destination: the Grand Quai. Situated in Old Montreal, it’s the main port of entry to the city. It’s practically a landmark that takes its place proudly at the center of a local-loved tourist area. For years, it has swung its maritime flags, used as a visual code to communicate with sailors from a distance. Drawing inspiration from this vibrant language, we created a new identity for this unique space, as well as a typography that’s doubly original. First, it anchors the Grand Quai’s identity platform firmly in its history, which makes it both strong and functional. Second, and even more interesting, each letter created represents the maritime flag it corresponds to, thereby transforming a coded system into a language shared between the quay and the whole world.

The old terminal was often recognized for the maritime flags that represented it. These flags have a festive appearance, but also make up a real alphabet. That’s where we found our angle for the design of the new brand identity: by inspiring ourselves from the very heritage it was built on. In drawing inspiration from the festive flags and containers used for harbour transport, we created an identity that is both welcoming and impactful. Their new typography consists of each letter representing the maritime flag it corresponds to, giving it a playful look that’s also educational.

This simple yet impressive graphics system was launched on site and in various communications tools. We even created a larger-than-life sculptural “Grand Quai,” which is quickly becoming a landmark at the entrance to the city, thereby bringing the brand to life both on site and on social media.

This new image targets tourists, Montrealers and passengers—an effort to include audiences outside of the maritime world. Using the flags in the logo transformed them and truly made the colours speak for themselves. It made the maritime language modern and allowed people to understand the meaning behind its exclusive code, making the brand much more accessible.

Adding more colour makes the quay an attractive space and boosted it’s image by giving it a lively, distinctive character. Since the new brand’s launch, the sculptural design brought unwavering awareness to the space, especially on social channels. Visitors snapped shots of the quay over 500 times, not only showing their appreciation for the building, but just how quickly it was integrated into the Montreal culture. So far, this unique identity secured Montreal’s Grand Quai a spot among the great cruise ship ports of the world and it’ll only go up from here!