Wynwood is now one of Miami’s most vibrant and creative neighborhoods. But it wasn’t always that way. The area’s transformation—from a once-neglected district—began in 2009, when real estate developer and art enthusiast Tony Goldman led its resurgence alongside a community of muralists and graffiti artists. Together, they turned its streets into an open-air art gallery, giving rise to a new identity as a hub for urban art and creative innovation.
Wynwood Plaza is a prime example of this neighborhood renaissance.
This architectural complex brings together workspaces, residences, and retail in an environment designed to foster creativity and social interaction.
Buenaventura was commissioned to develop the visual identity for Wynwood Plaza. Our goal was to capture the spirit of transformation that defines the neighborhood and has made it an international reference point where urban development and culture intersect in remarkable ways.
The inspiration came from recognizing that the true catalysts of the neighborhood’s transformation were the graffiti artists and muralists.
That’s why the visual identity draws from the very essence of graffiti—particularly its most iconic tool, the spray can. The result is a conceptual distillation of the act of painting itself. As the paint is released from the can, it creates an angular spray, which became the foundation for constructing the “W” in the logomark.
However, the identity goes beyond a fixed symbol. The visual system behind Wynwood Plaza is a flexible and organic framework designed to generate its own spaces and narratives. We developed a visual structure that evolves and expresses itself dynamically—allowing the system itself to function as a constantly changing canvas. In fact, the system adapts to the walls of Wynwood just as graffiti once did.
The color palette, in turn, is directly inspired by Tony Goldman’s passion for art and by the influence of gallerist Jeffrey Deitch, who partnered with Goldman in the early stages of Wynwood’s revival and helped shape the neighborhood into an open-air gallery.
This flexible system not only gives Wynwood Plaza’s visual identity a distinct personality but also reflects its deep connection to the neighborhood’s ongoing transformation.
