Less Is More
Inside Our 20th Anniversary Rebranding
by Franz Safford, CEO and Founder of Innovation Glass
In the end, everything in life comes down to details: the phrase at the start of a speech that becomes legendary, the perfect transition in a melody, the shape of a tree trunk to allow it to sway without falling… It is said that “God is in the details” and the person to whom this phrase is attributed is German-American modernist architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. When the details are excellent the entire work is excellent. This approach has been a key driver at Innovation Glass as we carry out our work. It is manifest in our extraordinary VS1 “kit-of-parts”.
Ludwig Mies van Der Rohe with a model of S.R. Crown Hall.
Die Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin, designed by Rohe.
The Rohe-designed Pavilion and Barcelona Chair at 1929 International Exposition.
When the opportunity came about to celebrate this attention to detail at a granular level in our daily writings the decision to adopt the font inspired by Mies was instant. It truly embodies his devotion to proportion and a minimalist approach. “Less is more”. The VS1 system is a physical embodiment of this concept: every component one sees in our facade solutions has a part to play, often taking on more to allow the reduction of material, until one has the minimum assembly to achieve a stable construct.
Less is more.
In recognition of 20 years of Innovation Glass we have undergone a revitalization of our visual branding. Our logo and headers now use a new font called Neue Galerie. It is based on Mies van Der Rohe’s own font, Allzweck, which he used on his personal letterhead and on architectural drawings.
Neue Galerie was drawn by Studio Mathias Clottu for a 2017 exhibition by the Royal institute of British Architects (RIBA) titled “Mies van der Rohe + James Stirling: Circling the Square.” The exhibition featured various writings of Mies on his letterhead, pictured below, and the redrawn font was used to annotate the gallery space.
Mansion House Square rendering, RIBA
Mansion House Square + public space model, RIBA
The 2017 exhibit showcased the competing designs of Mies van der Rohe and James Stirling for No. 1 Poultry, a lot in the City of London, and featured never-before-seen models of Mies’ amber glass-clad tower. RIBA wrote of the event: “Presented together for the first time, the exhibition offers a unique opportunity to draw comparisons between the design methods of two of the most highly recognised architects of the 20th century, and to trace the continuity in purpose and approach that unites two seemingly dissimilar architectural creations.”
Mies’ proposal, which he titled Mansion House Square and completed mere weeks before his death in 1969, showcased the modernist aesthetic for which he is now known while also focusing on such minute details as the bronze door handles, a novel heating system to keep the stone steps dry, and the precise placement of a flagpole within a carefully planned public space at the tower’s base.
The new Innovation Glass logo, 2025, composed of three weights of the font NG by Studio Matthias Clottu. The crossbars in the As were eliminated in recognition of VS1’s lack of metal at horizontal joints.
Our new logo and our use of this Allzweck-inspired font reaffirms our commitment to pushing boundaries, to be being bold, and to paying attention to the details. Though our portfolio continues to grow and our technology keeps evolving, our values remain the same 20 years after our founding.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
FRANZ SAFFORD, FACADE ENGINEER
CEO of INNOVATION GLASS
Expert in all aspects of curtain wall construction process, from initial conception/design development, engineering, material selection, fabrication, project management and installation. Read Full Bio→
