Hondo’s identity for Castil furniture reflects its industrial production
Hondo Studio has rebranded Italian furniture brand Castil with an identity that reflects the distinctive curves of its range of chairs and tables shaped from metal tubing
Launched in 2010, Castil’s contemporary metal seating, which includes indoor and outdoor pieces, is manufactured in its Udine factory in Italy. The new logotype – and the bespoke typeface that came out of it – acknowledge both the form and function of Castil’s curvilinear products, reflecting how the metal tubing is bent and shaped in the manufacturing process.
Hondo says that the project aimed to reveal the malleable nature of Castil’s products through typography, offering “a bold departure from the standard ‘vanilla’ outdoor seating catalogue aesthetic,” says co-founder María Vioque Nguyen. Monospaced typeface Castil Mono was created especially for the rebrand by type designer Ignacio Casco.
“The idea of creating a bespoke typeface emerged from our desire to push the project further,” adds Nguyen. “Having achieved a conceptual approach in the logo design that closely mirrored Castil’s intrinsic metal bar treatment, we saw an opportunity to extend this DNA into a full typeface.”
Using curved angles, the design reflects the elegant functionality of the Castil product range and the strength of the metalwork, while referencing its industrial context.
“We shaped the logo with the vision of it being crafted in real life from factory materials,” she continues, “ensuring it could exist in both industrial precision and sophisticated design contexts. This balance honours Castil’s elegant Italian design heritage while giving it a modern edge.”
