MAUD

A new modernist building in the heart of Dunedin, Ebb is informed by its unique position in a culinary and cultural centre surrounded by rugged coast and wild countryside. It is both modern boutique hotel and wilderness retreat.

Ebb was named after the site’s historic location on the edge of the now reclaimed Otago Harbour tidal flats. On the ebb tide, Polynesian travellers would have first landed on the exposed tidal flats before stepping foot on land.

To root the hotel in a sense of place, this story is embodied in the building and identity, starting with façade. Ebb founders, father and son Dylan and Frank, commissioned local artist Simon Kaan to create a large-scale artwork to wrap the entire facade of the building. Simon’s meditative artwork depicts the heads of the Otago Harbour, with the view of the land and sky from the sea.

Our focus then shifted to developing a full brand identity for Ebb Dunedin, which included everything from signage and wayfinding to a completely custom website to handle guest bookings.

The façade artwork unlocked our creative thinking and became the foundation of our exploration. Opening the door to a connection to the place and its history gave us an anchor beyond just good design and architecture.

The notion of ebb and flow became the thinking behind the visual and verbal language, exploring ideas such as elements colliding, water meeting land and tidal patterns. The wordmark is inspired by sea level markers, and sits against a series of measurement lines, rising and falling according to where it’s seen.

The characterful and quirky wordmark is paired with a calm, recessive typeface and used with other transcendent graphic elements such a colour palette inspired by Dunedin’s landscape.

Photography played a key role and we commissioned aerial, landscape and close- up photography by Irenaeus Herok, which captures Dunedin’s coastline through an ethereal lens and adds a sense of movement and wonder to the identity.

Ebb’s lyrical and fluid tone instils a sense of place and feeling of escapism with every line. Warm and casual, the rhythmic and informal language welcomes everyone to go with the flow.