The Julius
A boutique residence in the heart of Prague, The Julius is the global traveller’s home away from home. Combining modern design, with luxury, warmth and comfort, The Julius offers both short and long-term stays, tailored to their guests’ needs.
Drawing upon a 160-year family legacy, we created a timeless brand identity, that is infused with the Meinl principles of quality, style and distinguished service.
Inspired by images from the Julius Meinl archive, we took pre-20th century typographic references found in Austria and Central Europe, and used them as the basis of our design development, creating a visual language that is historic and premium, but also fresh and contemporary. This concept was also embedded in the autumnal colour palette, inspired by the works of celebrated Czech artist Alphonse Mucha, which tied in seamlessly to the interior finishes.
The identity of the in-house restaurant, Emporium Bistro, is also rooted in Meinl family tradition; repurposing mid-Century illustrations from advertisements and packaging in the archive, to form a stylish and playful sub-brand.
The project uses various weights and widths from the Söhne family by Kris Sowersby (Klim Type Foundry): a modern interpretation of Akzidenz-Grotesk, which was prominently used in the references found in the family archive. Klim Type Foundry describe their Söhne as “…the memory of Akzidenz-Grotesk framed through the reality of Helvetica.” This gives the identity its modern yet historical sensibility.
