The Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies was formed in 2006 through the merger of five university institutes: the Icelandic Language Institute, the University of Iceland Institute of Lexicography, the Árni Magnússon Institute in Iceland, the Sigurður Nordal Institute and the Place-Name Institute of Iceland. However, the institute has never had all its activities under one roof but rather spread across three locations.

We now enter a new era. The Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies has moved almost entirely into the newly built Edda. The site is only a stone’s throw from Árnagarður, which, until now, housed the institute’s main offices. Edda will, however, accommodate the entirety of the institute’s activities. Over time, the institute’s manuscript collection will be relocated to Edda’s manuscript storage facility and a new manuscript exhibition will be opened. In this way, the merger that began in 2006 will finally reach completion.

With transformation comes opportunity, and while the institute was undergoing these significant changes it seemed an opportune time for a general redesign of the visual aspects that have come to distinguish the institute. The institute’s communications department worked closely with the advertising agency Brandenburg on the transformation, including significant changes to the institute’s color scheme and logo.

Colors

The Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies previously used maroon as its primary color, but it will now be dark green. The color will be prominent in visual representations of the institute. Dark green will be the color people associate with the institute. Secondary colors will be used to add contrast, diversify the palette and serve as design embellishments in various materials. Accent colors will be used sparingly, mainly to draw attention.

Primary and secondary colors

Accent colors

Logo

The logo for the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies has undergone a change as well. The previous logo was adapted from the personal seal of Árni Magnússon. It was decided that the new logo would better reflect the broader scope of the institute’s activities. The older logo will continue to be used in a ceremonial capacity and will continue to be used by the institute’s manuscript collection and in its print publications. Despite the institute’s transformation, the new logo draws heavily from the institute’s origins as it is a simplified version of a portion of the original logo.

The new design standards have now been formally adopted and put to use with the changes now visible widely across the institute’s website. The institute’s collaborators and partners and anyone else who requires use of the new logo and information on the precise color codes can access them on the Design Standards page (in Icelandic).