Client:
Fundația9
Sector:
Culture, Institutional
Fundatia9 is the parent brand that powers Școala9, Scena9 and Rezidența9, an engine initiated and funded by BRD – Groupe Société Générale and fuelled by the belief that culture gains value only when everyone gets a seat at the table. The overarching brand strategy champions “inner diversity,” inviting audiences to keep discovering, understanding and expressing, while the foundation quietly handles the logistics of possibility. The Fundatia9 masterbrand project began with a fundamental question: how do you design a visual identity that is strong enough to hold 3 independently-minded platforms together, without flattening what makes each one distinct?
Fundatia9 Visual System & Brand Architecture
The parent mark stitches together the identities of the 3 sub-brands, offering the space needed for self-expression. The number 9, present in the same typeface across all logos, is the constant that keeps the family of identities aligned. The masterbrand typography serves as the neutral conductor, allowing each sub-brand to maintain its distinct voice while ensuring seamless integration across collaborative projects, but also keeping evolution open for future programmes and brands to be included.
Co-existance and co-branding
Shared alignment logic governs everything from co-branded event posters to digital interfaces, creating a flexible grid system that adapts to each platform’s unique needs without losing structural integrity. Co-branding protocols establish clear hierarchies,when Școala9 partners with Rezidența9 for an educational workshop, or when all three entities unite for a major cultural initiative, the visual relationships remain instantly recognizable. Think of it as a modular score: three distinct movements, one unmistakable symphony, with the masterbrand providing the consistent tempo that allows individual instruments to improvise confidently.
Fundatia9 Brand Promise in Practice
Four brand pillars , Courage, Experimentation, Social Responsibility, and Trust & Quality , drive every Fundatia9 initiative, residency and investigation, translating abstract values into tangible cultural action. Courage manifests in the foundation’s willingness to tackle uncomfortable subjects and champion marginalized voices, whether that’s funding investigative journalism about systemic abuse or providing platform space for emerging artists whose work challenges conventional boundaries. Experimentation plays out through the “serious playground” approach, where rigorous research meets accessible presentation , from punk music analysis to educational methodology prototypes.
Social Responsibility ensures diverse representation across programming, while Trust & Quality guarantees that every publication, event, and collaboration meets consistently high standards that respect both creators and audiences. Together they guarantee that Fundatia9 doesn’t just curate culture; it builds the scaffold on which culture can grow. Every new brand decision , from typography to tone of voice , flows directly from these 4 pillars, making the identity both principled and adaptive.
Co-existance and co-branding
Shared alignment logic governs everything from co-branded event posters to digital interfaces, creating a flexible grid system that adapts to each platform’s unique needs without losing structural integrity. Co-branding protocols establish clear hierarchies,when Școala9 partners with Rezidența9 for an educational workshop, or when all three entities unite for a major cultural initiative, the visual relationships remain instantly recognizable. Think of it as a modular score: three distinct movements, one unmistakable symphony, with the masterbrand providing the consistent tempo that allows individual instruments to improvise confidently.
The Fundatia9 brand system is one of the most complex projects in Glitch Studio’s portfolio , a masterbrand that has to hold 3 distinct sub-brand identities together while leaving each one enough room to breathe. Our approach to this kind of cultural brand architecture is informed by years of work across strategy, concept, and visual identity, as well as by the design references we collect and discuss in the Glitch Library. You can learn more about Fundatia9’s mission directly on their platform at fundatia9.ro.
Credits
Creative direction
Dan Stănescu
Brand Strategy
Sonia Panait
Simina Leotescu
Project management
Domnica Stuparu
Graphic Design
Andrei Nicolescu
Ana Maria Dudu
