Application to Unesco

Design by OOF + Guimarães City Council   2022

The city of Guimarães has been recognized, for several decades, for its investment in culture. Besides having a strong cultural production and programming – which earned it the title of European Capital of Culture in 2012 – Guimarães also preserves several National Monuments and the monumental complex of the Historic Centre, classified by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage Site since 2001.

In 2021, OOF Design was invited to develop the editorial project for the extension of the Unesco Candidature to the Zona de Couros, an old industrial district located next to the Historic Centre of Guimarães. The editorial project included the pagination of the Candidature, the Annexes and the Management Plan, in more than a thousand pages, spread over several volumes. In between, during the public discussion phase, we also produced a campaign to instigate debate about heritage.

For the graphic production we chose a range of simple materials, combined to produce a robust and practical object. The textured papers give a human feel to the book, and some details in the finishes, such as hot stamping, black thread stitching, yellow cardboard guards or yellow fabric lining, allow us to add a sophisticated look to the whole set.