Sign+Symbol_Final

WINTER OLYMPICS 2024

EDINBURGH SCOTLAND

Table of Contents

• Winter Olympic Background

• City of Edinburgh

• History of Edinburgh

• Culture

• Infrastructure

• Logo

• Pictograms

• Branding

Olympic Promotion, History of the Winter Olympics

Winter Olympic Background

The Olympic Rings Stand tall, surrounded by athletes during the first Winter Olympics.

The Olympic Games have a long and storied past, beginning in ancient Greece. Alternatively the Winter Olympics are rather new in comparison, with 1924 being the inaugural year of the games in Chamonix France. The original title of the games was: “International Winter Sports Week”. The decision to change the name to the: “Winter Olympic Games” came a couple of years later at a IOC (International Olympic Committee) session.

Beginning the process of the Winter Olympics is complex and takes years of planning, bidding, and contractual obligations. Those are just a few of the stages a city must take on that will grant them host of the Winter Olympics. According to the IOC’s official page, this is a list of requirements of the potential host city:

• Geopolitical, socio-economic, human development and environmental factors

• Vision and venue masterplan

• Alignment with existing longterm development plans

• Envisaged sustainability and legacy impacts

• Political and public support

• Funding strategy

• Sports event experience, accommodation capacity, transport infrastructure, and safety and security.

City of Edinburgh

Edinburgh is the center of Scottish culture, from national museums, castles, Unesco heritage sites, traditional cuisine, etcetera. It is all there for anyone who wishes to experience Scotland and its culture. Being the capital, it is the seat of parliament and historically of Kings as well.

There are many things that I believe Edinburgh would excel at as being the host city for the Winter Olympics. As the capital and the second largest city in Scotland, it has the accommodations and infrastructure already established to handle the influx of what the games bring; an increase to the local population for sometime and a strain on local services.

Edinburgh Old Town

Edinburgh Skyline

History of Edinburgh

Edinburgh the capital of Scotland. A couple of rumors circulate of the origin of the name: “Edwin’s fort” translated from Old English, but the city predates Edwin, so the origin is speculated. One thing is for sure; it has been the site of a ‘hill fort’ for centuries.

Edinburgh Castle

Lying on the east coast of Scotland, it lies within an estuary opening into the North Sea. The area of Edinburgh has been inhabited since 8500 BC or the Mesolithic era. By this accord areas of Edinburgh are considered a UNESCO world heritage site.

Unicorn Crest - Palace of Holyroodhouse

Culture

Scottish culture is rich and diverse, with it’s native Celtic culture and contributions of Germanic, Norse, and as well as Roman influence during the conquest of Britannia. Most common recognized forms of Scottish culture are: the Bagpipes, the Kilt (Tartan being the pattern and color), Haggis (the national dish), and don’t forget Scotch Whisk(e)y.

Edinburgh is alive with numerous institutions of education, cinema, cuisine, as well as the Edinburgh Festival held annually. Most certainly events that should be consider are: Burns Supper/Night, Hogmanay, and St. Andrews Day.

Blackwatch Bagpiper in Regalia

Flight of Scotch Whisky

Prestented Haggis

Transportation

Infrastructure and transportation within Edinburgh are quite extensive and fulfill the needs of visitors and locals alike. Trams, buses, and taxis connect urban areas, as well as trains, ferries, and an airport linking multiple regions and international destinations. Attendees will feel at home moving about the games and seeing the sites that the city offers with fully functional modes of transportation in place.

Edinburgh Tram

Map of Edinburgh Bus Stops

Edinburgh Bus

Logo

My Winter Olympics logo comprises of elements and aesthetics of Scottish culture. The blue itself is representative of the national flag featuring the cross of St. Andrew. The unicorn is Scotland’s national animal, albeit mythical it is something unique to the identity of Scotland. I placed a shield as the backdrop, by this I felt it played into the medieval mythos and culture; that I believe most people attribute to Scotland, and the United Kingdom as a whole.

Designing the logo I went with a vertical structure: title at the top with the logo itself centered, and finally the iconic Olympic Rings being the foundation upon which the logo sits. The colors as mentioned above are akin to the national flag. The color choice is simple and not too convoluted, keeping in line with my minimalist approach. This logo conveys the spirit of Edinburgh and Scotland, announcing it to those in attendance of the Olympic Games.

Pictograms

The design style of the pictograms continues the minimalist approach I took for this project. I wanted to avoid convoluting the images or creating confusion for the viewer. Each pictogram uses the lighter blue as the background, with the vertical and horizontal lines acting a tartan pattern.

Ice Hockey

Figure Skating

Biathlon

Curling

Branding

Admit One Hockey | Game 1 United Kingdom vs Aisle 127

Row 27

Seat 3

Admit One Figure Skating Round 5

EDINBURGH 2024

EDINBURGH 2024

EDINBURGH

Sources

Edinburgh Buildings/Old Town:

https://www.cullenproperty.com/article/much-know-edinburghs-historicarchitecture

Edinburgh Old Town:

https://onejourneyaway.com/blog/12-places-visit-edinburghs-old-town-part-2

Olympic Rings | First

https://thedeclarationatcoloniahigh.com/27804/today-in-history/first-winterolympics/#modal-photo

The Olympic Rings Stand tall, surrounded by athletes during the first winter Olympics.

Photo Credit: Bundesarchiv --- Photo via Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons License

Olympic Logo | Skier

https://www.mcgill.ca/channels/news/new-digital-exhibition-celebratingwinter-olympics-1924-2006-216570

Picture of Edinburgh Skyline

https://britishcastle.co.uk/edinburgh-castle/

Info on Edinburgh

https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryMagazine/DestinationsUK/Edinburgh/

Scotch Whisky images (Stock)

https://www.istockphoto.com/photos/scotland-whisky

Blackwatch Piper

https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/53691420531072321/

Tram picture

https://www.intelligenttransport.com/transport-news/116532/edinburghscotland-transport/

Bus stops in Edinburgh

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Map_of_Edinburgh_Bus_Stops_ (4437223141).png

Bus image

https://www.hop-on-hop-off-bus.com/edinburgh/city-sightseeing-edinburghhop-on-hop-off-bus-tour_5121