South Side Sanctuary
Chicago’s new public park, South Side Sanctuary, revitalizes an unused parcel of land in the historic Bronzeville neighborhood. Founded by The Nascent Group, an innovative developer with a diverse community of creatives, South Side Sanctuary transforms a vacant lot into a vibrant public park aimed at uniting and uplifting community members of all ages. Span collaborated with the founders to craft a dynamic visual identity that captures the essence and energy of the park.
The spirited visual identity designed by Span reflects the form, expression, and movement in South Side Sanctuary’s intentionally inclusive architecture and the diverse activities of its visitors. Unlike most parks, South Side Sanctuary is built for pedestrians, skateboarders, roller-skaters, bicyclists, and wheelchair users alike. The custom logotype showcases uniquely crafted letterforms that echo the geometry of the architecture and site plan. Designed for versatility, these letterforms can be oriented vertically for the beacon sign or horizontally for traditional applications, they also seamlessly uniting to form both a cross and an X. The bespoke stencil letterforms pay homage to Chicago artist Apache Wakefield’s historic Bronzeville bench, while the uppercase letters with descenders underscore the park uniqueness.
Span’s eclectic color palette was inspired by the park’s surroundings. Purple and green hues reflect the native-plant landscaping, while pink and teal come from nearby businesses. The Bronze tone is drawn from the four nearby statues that designate the area as Chicago’s Blues District center. Additionally, historic and site-specific photographs from the Chicago History Museum’s Street Scenes on East 47th Street collection were selected by Future Firm, Span brought these images back to life with the identity’s distinctive color pairings. Throughout its extended visual language, the supportive typography utilizes expressive setting and the avant-garde alternates of The Future by Klim Type Foundry to maintain an expressive and angular character.
South Side Sanctuary was established through the Public Outdoor Plaza (POP!) program, a part of Mayor Johnson’s ongoing commitment to invest in Chicago. These plazas empower community-based organizations to revitalize underutilized land for recreation, performances, pop-up shops, gardening, and other neighborhood activities. The team at South Side Sanctuary, led by founders Cecilia Cuff and Jasmine Anwuli, architects Future Firm, and Nichole Humphry of Black Girls Shred, transformed a vacant lot into a hub for gathering, growth, and community engagement within Bronzeville, historically an area lacking in investment.
