Denver-based design studio Wunder Werkz has developed a comprehensive visual identity for Brutø, a Michelin Star-winning restaurant in Denver, Colorado, that explores the architectural philosophy of Brutalism through its culinary approach. The design project, which encompasses both the restaurant's interior redesign and its complete branding system, has been shortlisted in the Graphic Design category of the 2025 Dezeen Awards.
The studio's approach centered on embracing simple, raw materials and creating a utilitarian website that mirrors the restaurant's intimate 18-seat setting through a single, experimental landing page. "Brutalism isn't uncomfortable, it's all about using materials thoughtfully and honestly," explained Jon Hartman, partner at Wunder Werkz. "It can be inviting, it can also be thought-provoking."
Brutø's culinary philosophy already embodied Brutalist values before Wunder Werkz became involved, using ingredients like grain and masa "the way a great architect would use concrete to elevate architectural artistry," according to Hartman. The restaurant is dedicated to sustainability, environmental connection, and understanding the origins of food, principles that align perfectly with Brutalist architecture's honest use of materials.
Hartman elaborated on the connection between architecture and cuisine, stating, "A great brutalist building has no veneer, it is what it is, concrete, wood, steel, raw, crude, blunt. The food is the same way, they aren't trying to gussy things up, there is such great beauty in taking things that would otherwise be overlooked, or not utilized and elevating them to something special."
The graphic design implementation reflects the restaurant's minimalist ethos through every touchpoint. Menus are printed on post-consumer paper and organized using a straightforward, no-frills grid layout. The website design breaks conventional user experience norms by consolidating all necessary information onto a single, interactive landing page.
"While we always strive for usability, in the case of Brutø, we are eschewing user experience for user experimentation," said Liz Henderson, head of web development at Wunder Werkz. "So, think of it less as a website and more as a web experiment." The innovative web design allows users to customize their experience by checking boxes at the bottom of the page to filter content and reveal only the information they're seeking.
The website's experimental approach mimics the "incomplete" aesthetic of brutalist architecture while emphasizing transparency. Critical information such as opening hours, reservation links, and location details coexist with educational content including the restaurant's manifesto and team profiles. A faint architectural blueprint of the restaurant serves as the background, while a concrete breeze block slowly rotates in one corner of the page.
The international scope of Brutalism heavily influenced the design's typography choices. Each time users interact with the filtering system, the oversized Brutø logo transforms into different typefaces that represent global brutalist movements. "Brutalism isn't specific to central Europe, but instead appears across Asia, Central and South America, Mexico and Eastern Europe," Hartman noted. "We looked to typography that each evoked a sense of global brutalism to us and were able to play with that idea as an introduction moment."
This international approach mirrors the restaurant's culinary techniques, which incorporate global methods including binchotan charcoal cooking from Japan, masa and corn techniques originating in Mexico, and fermentation processes using koji and gochujang based on Asian traditions. The design serves as a digital extension of these diverse influences, bringing the studio's complete visual system together under one cohesive identity.
The most prominent visual element is the diagonal line running through the ø in Brutø, which designers have reimagined as an oversized, forward-slash-shaped cursor throughout the digital experience. This same diagonal motif appears consistently across all brand touchpoints, including printed menus and the restaurant's interior, where Wunder Werkz recreated the ø symbol using a T5 construction light combined with two red acrylic rounds.
"The ø is used as connective tissue across a number of mediums, and we have retranslated it in a number of ways, from font variants on the website to product packaging," Hartman explained. "As a stand-alone object the ø communicates a promise of regeneration and zero waste, culinarily or materially." This symbol effectively represents the restaurant's commitment to sustainability and waste reduction, core values that permeate both its culinary and design philosophy.
Wunder Werkz's comprehensive approach to the Brutø project demonstrates how architectural principles can be successfully translated into contemporary branding and digital experiences. The studio has previously completed other Denver restaurant projects using similarly humble materials, establishing themselves as specialists in hospitality design that prioritizes authenticity and sustainability over conventional luxury aesthetics.
