Spatial logos cover a subset of logos and logo design techniques that also include extrusion logos and logos that appear as impossible forms. These are flat graphic shapes that appear to occupy dimensional space.
This impression is often achieved by using isometric grids or perspective drawing, and the suggestion of light and shade through the balancing of positive and negative space.
Logos that suggest that they exist within 3d space tend to lend themselves well to industries such as construction, architecture, interior design and packaging design and manufacturing, as well as logistics, shipping, imports and exports, with the latter often represented by variations on stacked boxes.
For cultural institutions seeking to connect their identities to the physical world, and in particular, galleries, museums, opera houses and theatres housed in distinctive modern buildings, architecture offers a natural source of inspiration.
Distilling a building’s defining features into a simple graphic form can create a strong connection between an institution, its identity and its location. One such example is Javad Pouyan’s 1993 logo for the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art.
Other spatial logos seek to evoke other smaller less monumental material connectios such as Rodolfo Fernandez Alvarez’s 1989 logo for Dinelco Electronic Bank. Here, Alvarez created the initial ‘E’ from stacked lines with the intention of a alluding to piles of cash for an ATM service.
Want more examples of spatial logos? Search ‘Spatial’ on LogoArchive.
Thank you for subscribing to Logo Histories. If you enjoy reading this short you may also enjoy these resources from the same team:
Brand Archive – Research tool for brand designers.
LogoArchive Website – Searchable modernist logo archive & research tool.
LogoArchive Shop – Vintage design books & LogoArchive Zines.
BP&O – Contemporary design editorial.








