saul studio

Kino is a restaurant and bar in Leeds, UK, presenting the best independent food, wine and beer from the region. As part of its offer, the restaurant hosts award-winning pop-up chefs and restaurateurs and prides itself on using the best local suppliers for its in-house cheese and charcuterie menu.

Owned by Opera North, a leading UK arts organisation, Kino is situated between two leading international music venue and theatres, the Howard Assembly Room and Leeds Grand Theatre, and resides in a beautifully-renovated Grade II-listed building which was once a cinema (hence its name).

The studio were invited to brand Kino in partnership with lifestyle and PR agency Chapter 81. The process involved the naming of the restaurant and the creation of a visual concept and direction which pays tribute to the building's cinematic history while referencing its connection with Opera North.

Cy, the playful typeface chosen to carry the identity, has a balletic quality to it and is versatile in its use (the 'K' in the wordmark is also bespoke to Kino). The stave is used throughout the building in vinyl and print material, connecting the restaurant with the organisation. Every design decision made, particularly in relation to signage and material, alludes to cinema — both a neon sign and cinema-style lightbox are present in the restaurant — and the colour palette (which draws inspiration from both 20^th-century film and the ceiling of the Howard Assembly Room above) — solidify the concept and influence the interior design, all while retaining a contemporary and sophisticated aesthetic.

Photography by Justin Slee