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Elmuhtaseb Bookshop
مكتبة المحتسب
For the second project we approached a bookshop in Downtown Amman. El Muhtaseb is a business with a sixty-year history and an established reputation. The shop is a local landmark – it has developed with Amman and the local community. Inside, there is something for everyone, and the previous signage had a strong aesthetic with a vintage flavour.
We wanted to work with the existing facade, to incorporate the old-style shop front into the new design. So elements were blended with some new ideas to create a strong typeface and logo. The bright red shop front remains, with black outlines used to enhance the design. A simple signage highlights the books on display instead of competing with them. The process was intricate – taking five months to complete, and incorporating designs for the internal signage and branded business equipment. There is also a new silhouette on the shop shutter – featuring the owner himself and his love of fishing - both for books and other animals.
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The Old Shopfront
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The New Shopfront
Sketches
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Installation
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The Redesigned Shopfront
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7991955163aee4f355215c1e34f70579/1e64d2e0-5c2b-406b-add3-ce529930be98_rw_600.png?h=bf18040711dddd3a7aa177a6348fdbe8)
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![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7991955163aee4f355215c1e34f70579/c2915da0-0906-4290-8369-e8a92103a58e_rw_1200.jpg?h=45f12ff3849ea058c1554bcc9001db38)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7991955163aee4f355215c1e34f70579/cb638465-e094-4841-aace-cf8e8a0d179d_rw_1200.jpg?h=ab6068a8d892a253aa3470d06d097366)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7991955163aee4f355215c1e34f70579/2c44fa6d-113d-4b1a-80c1-5c859c4a7261_rw_1200.jpg?h=9f45b7ca0c764b3b056a8cca3846637c)
Internal Signage System, Staitonery
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7991955163aee4f355215c1e34f70579/b23b2698-42ed-44a5-aa11-d554e56a7f69_rw_1200.jpg?h=fcf5bfa847bd98e087fc8148b017ce55)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7991955163aee4f355215c1e34f70579/0ecb2cb6-d7b2-4ed8-9fca-ed6e72c71beb_rw_1200.jpg?h=3adae89fa560630c8e0cb98e63b73496)
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![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7991955163aee4f355215c1e34f70579/899c1312-4e5f-46d3-8d2c-e7e12d68247d_rw_1200.jpg?h=5b29f2cf167a01be1f4884d973f42de5)
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With a photo from 1985
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7991955163aee4f355215c1e34f70579/6853910d-3d51-43f9-b089-501b6814fdb9_rw_1200.jpg?h=7353f1befaf3c8935ef79c9f203286c1)
Goodness
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7991955163aee4f355215c1e34f70579/568c6430-53b5-4dea-bcb8-8083800f885f_rw_1200.jpg?h=b0e8b8f470cabe41d5c29ed31cbf48ff)
Credits
Hussein Alazaat
Art Director
Ali Almasri
Designer
Photography
Hussein Alazaat
Essa Almasri
Thanks
Rebecca Ryan
Dima Maurice
Ahmad Humeid
Musab Abu Alhaija
Alaa Ali
Ahmed Haroun