We were challenged to create an urban trail system that would celebrate Cincinnati’s rich brewing heritage and serve as a positive, marketable image for the city.
The two-mile trail follows streets through the central business district, Pendleton, and Over-the-Rhine neighborhoods, allowing visitors to experience the trail through both physical and virtual installations. Cincinnati’s unrivaled collection of brewing architecture and its associated cultural resources draw national attention to Over-the-Rhine, one of America’s most historically significant neighborhoods, and will allow the region to benefit from its most under-appreciated asset: it’s history.
Elements of the design are iconic to the brewing industry and the materiality is representative of the surrounding environment. Everything down to the logomark and typography is inspired by malts, hops, barrels, light and dark shades of beer, craft, precision, and other brewing attributes.
A combination of signage and wayfinding, public art installations, and guided tours tie the entire experience together to create a vibrant, cohesive story. Central to the experience, there is a website and corresponding app that uses augmented reality technology to share stories, photos, and other visualizations of how the district has changed over time.
