When the Tashkent Public Council announced an open competition for a city logo, we saw a task far broader than designing a mark. It was about shaping a coherent image of the capital: modern, attractive to investors, strong within Central Asia and a good place to live and visit. The city needed a single visual system that could bring together fragmented communication at home and abroad.

We looked for an idea that came naturally from Tashkent itself, and arrived at “openness.” In this city, people really do keep their doors open. Hospitality here is not a formality but a cultural code. Openness became the common denominator that unites different audiences: residents, tourists, entrepreneurs and investors. It means personal openness, new opportunities and historical memory, too. Tashkent was once a walled city with twelve gates, through which the city welcomed its guests.

We built the visual concept on openness: open golden gates against a clear sky form the letter “T.” The symbol is simple yet rich in meaning, presenting the city as a place of opportunity. The geometry of the mark stays fixed, but the system is flexible: the logo can change color, take on patterns and graphic elements, and adapt to museums, parks, city services or cultural events while staying recognizable.

The identity fits easily into the urban environment, from infrastructure to festivals and official events, spanning every area of life in the capital.

The logo was officially approved on January 12, 2019, and drew a wide public response. Many residents and local brands embraced the new identity on social media, trying it out on their own platforms and initiatives. Over time the mark found its way into independent guidebooks to Central Asia, cementing Tashkent’s image as an open, forward-looking city.