Awarded Gold in Design Awards 2026, Wolff Olins brings a century-old cultural institution into sharper focus, crafting a brand system for the New York Botanical Garden that balances local pride with global purpose. Rooted in deep collaboration and time spent on the ground, the work reframes NYBG as both a place of wonder and a force for environmental action, setting the stage for a renewed identity that speaks with clarity, confidence, and warmth.

Written by Wolff Olins

Renewing a New York Institution
The New York Botanical Garden has been a local treasure since 1891, yet it is also a globally significant institution. Visitors understood the vibrancy of NYBG as a place, while scientists and researchers knew it as a center of academic, horticultural, and botanical expertise.

With new leadership and a strategic plan to expand its impact around the world, NYBG needed to refresh its brand to express both experience and expertise in a way that would inspire all audiences, from its Bronx community to a global public that cares about plants, fungi, and the planet. Over three seasons at the Garden, we worked closely with its team to reimagine the brand, capturing the passion of its people and the vibrancy of nature itself. The work positions NYBG as an organization of action, a place of beauty and contemplation, and a global leader in environmental action and plant science.

Do Right by Nature
This was the core idea created for the brand, underscoring the active role of nature while positioning NYBG as a leader. Doing right by nature can mean different things to NYBG’s many audiences, from studying and protecting it to learning from it or simply enjoying it. We rooted the entire strategy and identity in the spirit of this call to action, creating a system that balances Bronx boldness with organic lushness and remains flexible enough to feel fresh year-round.

The logo’s custom typography references forms found in nature and conveys a confidence that reflects the organisation’s impact. The brand voice captures NYBG’s plant passion and expertise, while inviting people in with the warm directness of a New Yorker. The colour palette draws from the NYBG landscape, from trees and fungi to the Bronx River, and is designed to be combined in endless, unexpected ways throughout the year. A strong sense of place, natural and active with a New York attitude, carries through every element of the system, from a photography style that reflects nature’s perspective to a graphic language derived from the forms of the Garden and a grid inspired by the glass panes of the iconic Enid A. Haupt Conservatory.

A Brand for All Seasons
The brand’s embodiment of all these facets of NYBG could not have happened without working closely with the people of the Garden and spending significant time on site. We toured the grounds, labs, libraries, Herbarium, and greenhouses, volunteered in the gardens, and spoke with the team, from horticulturalists to administrators and educators. We pushed them, and they pushed us. As we took on the responsibility of a beloved institution, we remained focused on creating something iconic, long-lasting, and expressive. This became an exercise in sharpening NYBG’s focus across many audiences and getting to the essence of what it stands for, an idea expansive enough to hold it all. Along with a truly usable identity, we created tools to support operational and functional shifts. Above all, the work positions NYBG for greater global relevance, opening the door to new partnerships and collaborations that bring people closer to the Garden, even if they are far from the northernmost borough. Since launching in January 2024, the collaboration has received recognition from The Type Directors Club, The One Show, Graphis, and D&AD.

About Wolff Olins

We are Wolff Olins, a global brand consultancy creating transformative brands that move businesses, people and the world forward. We wrote the rule book for creating transformative brands 60 years ago and have been tearing it up and evolving it ever since. We stand for brands that defy convention, redefine expectations, and ignite positive change. And we always enjoy the ride in the process. Our partners range in industry and size, including Uber, Blank Street, Benefit Cosmetics, New York Botanical Gardens, GSK, GE, GrubHub, Instacart, London 2012, McKinsey, The MET, Tate, Spotify and more. Our work has been honoured by D&AD, Cannes Lions, ADC, CLIO, One Show, Fast Company’s Innovation Award and the Webby Awards. 

http://www.wolffolins.com

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