WOPA – internationally awarded for design at the prestigious Red Dot Award, for the rebranding campaign of the Central University Library “Carol I”

• This is the first Red Dot award received by a Romanian agency for a cultural branding project.

• So far, only 10 such recognitions have been awarded to Romanian agencies in the entire history of the competition, for various other categories of the competition. 

• The new visual identity of BCU Carol I is a modern one, oriented towards the future and the new generations that will promote Romania on the symbolic world map.

WOPA Communication Group has received the prestigious international Red Dot Award in the Brands & Communication Design 2023 category for the quality of the design of the rebranding campaign developed for the “Carol I” Central University Library in Bucharest (BCUB).

The new visual identity of the institution is a premiere in modern institutional branding: following the model of the great cosmopolitan libraries of the world, BCUB is the first library in the country to relaunch its image, to increase its attractiveness among young people. Since May of this year, BCUB has had a new logo and brand image, benefiting from a contemporary design, inspired both by the original architectural elements of the building designed by French architect Paul Gottereau and by graphic elements of the digital world.

“From the signing of the Foundation Act by King Carol I in 1891 until today, our library has been defining itself as an establishment for training the future elites of Romania. Because time does not stand still and generations evolve, BCUB has set itself the goal of becoming a privileged institution in the minds of readers, including through the image it conveys to the public and we are pleased to be the single cultural entity in Romania to be awarded the prestigious international Red Dot Award. This means that we have indeed reached the highest standard of performance of a cultural brand in the country, and we hope that this will be a source of inspiration for both our visitors and our institutional partners”, says Mireille Rădoi, Director General of the Central University Library “Carol I”.

Building on the new elements of visual identity, BCUB welcomes its visitors with Instagrammable spaces, positioned both outside and inside the building, recognizing the value of experiences gained through digital media and thus bringing the value of multi-sensory experiences back to the public’s attention. BCUB offers students, teachers, and researchers access to the most important scientific databases, as well as to a significant collection of printed documents (books, periodicals, correspondence), together with a substantial digital platform. It also initiates and develops research programs, organizes conferences and events addressing various themes, being moreover a place of dialogue and meeting for those aiming to share ideas and exchange knowledge.

“BCUB’s rebranding is a project that fitted us, and we embraced the work with great joy. In addition to the fact that it aimed to bring the young public closer to reading, it also had the objective of transforming this institution from a library (in the classic sense of the word) into a space dedicated to an active urban community, which continuously learns, exchanges experiences, creates and contributes with ideas to the development of Romanian society. On the other hand, this is the first cultural branding campaign in Romania to win a Red Dot award, which marks not only a victory for the “Carol I” Central University Library but also for Romanian culture and creativity: only 10 such awards have so far been given to Romanian agencies in the entire history of the competition, compared to Poland, for example, which has won 108 Red Dot awards. This is a source of ambition and pride for us”, said Costin Buta, Managing Director of WOPA Communication Group.

“Carol I” Central University Library in Bucharest is one of Romania’s most prestigious cultural institutions and the most active library in Bucharest, which currently comprises a headquarters location consisting of 3 buildings with a 26,000 sqm area, as well as 17 branches, and its building on 88 Calea Victoriei is a landmark in the heart of Bucharest Capital. 

The Red Dot Design Award is an annual international design competition that has been rewarding product and industrial design, brand and communication design, and design concepts for almost 70 years, as judged by a jury of international experts. The competition awards every year three categories: Product Design, Red Dot Award: Brands & Communication Design and Red Dot Award: Design Concept.