The Thirteenth Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) brought together global leaders, practitioners and communities in Baku, Azerbaijan, under the theme Housing the World: Safe and Resilient Cities and Communities. As the leading international platform for shaping the future of cities, the forum explored housing as a foundation for inclusive, resilient and sustainable urban development.
We developed a visual identity that translated the forum’s global ambitions through a distinctly local lens. The concept draws inspiration from the intricate stained-glass patterns found throughout Azerbaijan’s historic architecture. Whether geometric or botanical, these ornamental compositions are more than decorative elements; they form part of the urban language that structures space, marks transitions and creates rhythm within the city. Complementing these patterns, we drew from the distinctive shapes of Baku’s windows, arches and architectural thresholds, using them as framing devices through which the city—and the forum’s content—could be viewed and experienced.
From this idea emerged a flexible graphic system built around modular forms that could be endlessly combined, scaled and adapted across touchpoints. The framing elements became a key tool within the identity, creating windows onto urban scenes, stories and themes explored throughout the forum. A library of illustrated cityscapes and a bespoke icon family further expanded the system, giving the communications team the freedom to create diverse content while maintaining a coherent visual language.
The result is an identity that balances cultural specificity with global relevance. Dynamic yet structured, it reflects the layered nature of urban environments while providing a versatile toolkit capable of supporting one of the world’s largest conversations on the future of cities.
