Toga Group approached Houston to establish the naming, pitch narrative, creative identity and leasing materials to support the commercial, retail and hotel requirements for the restoration of a series of Oxford Street buildings.

We approached this project very differently to a traditional commercial development, understanding that for the Oxford Street regeneration to succeed, it must represent and reinvigorate the location’s character and vibrancy – authentically capturing the pulse of Oxford Street and its surroundings.

We began by ‘turning the volume back up’, amplifying the precinct’s energy through every expression of the brand identity. A loud and dynamic brand identity was built upon the theme of ‘contrast’ inspired by the diversity of the commercial studios’, retailers’ and bars’ future inhabitants, and the vibrancy of the people who fill the streets; reimagining Oxford Street’s legacy for a new creative generation.

Given the commercial requirement to market both Oxford Street and Foley Street tenancies, the logo was created with flexibility to rotate 90 and 180 degrees, enabling leasing agents to flip the hierarchy of the identity depending on the audience.

Using the logo and typographic messaging as a window to thread through abstract scenes: the lighting of a pumping cocktail bar; the movement of a crowd; a swatch of designer fabric; these textures all form a collection of moments throughout the day-to-night precinct ecosystem; cues that are abstract yet unmistakably energetic and vibrant.