Leijona

Challenge

In 1924, David Burnham, world-renowned architect for the flat iron building also designed the St. Louis County Jail in Duluth. Fast forward nearly a century, New History, a visionary adaptive re-use development company, saw a new purpose for it: modern apartments. Live in a lock-up?

Opportunity

Create a compelling brand that excites people to voluntarily live in a former county jail, positioning it as one of downtown Duluth’s more desired apartments.

Outcome

After surveying the building’s architectural details—including its lion-adorned corbels—and considering the role Finnish immigrants played in Duluth’s industrialization, we named the building Leijona (Finnish for “lion”). Visually, the building’s Neoclassical style inspired the brand. As if constructed by bricks, each syllable within the primary logomark sits within its own modular block. And the lobby’s terrazzo floors informed Leijona’s color palette of warm neutrals. These and other brand details hearken back to Burnham’s “City Beautiful” movement which valued elegance, dignity and utility. Now, it’s nearly fully-leased as a shining example of how to repurpose existing structures into vibrant communities in city centers.