Knole is one of the National Trust’s most significant properties. As part of an ambitious programme of conservation, we were asked to define the visual character of the estate and create a framework for architects, retail designers, curators and interpretation designers working across the project. We began by looking closely at what makes Knole distinctive — its architecture, collections, landscape, history and atmosphere — and developed a visual language that could express a contemporary sense of place. The original brief asked us to work within the National Trust’s existing identity guidelines. As the project developed it became clear that these could not express the character or ambition of Knole. Working with the project team, we developed a new strategy that allowed Knole to have its own identity, becoming the first National Trust property to sit outside the organisation’s established visual system. Photography and illustration were art directed alongside the identity to capture the qualities of the place and create a richer, more contemporary way for visitors to experience Knole.

Illustration by Emily Robertson Photography by Antony Crolla