Design & Identity: The Look of Sarajevo '84

From the stark modernist architecture of the Zetra complex to the vibrant orange of the wayfinding system, the visual identity of the 1984 Sarajevo Olympics was a deliberate exercise in rebranding a city. It transformed an industrial capital into a global stage for winter sport, leaving a graphic legacy that remains visible in the city's streets and on the mountain slopes more than 40 years later.

Fast facts

Official Emblem: A stylized snowflake, symbolizing the region's winter environment and traditional embroidery patterns.
Art Director: Mladen Kolobarić.
Visual Communications Designer: Ivo Boras.
Key Art Commission: The »Sport and Art« portfolio, featuring 16 world-renowned artists including Andy Warhol and Henry Moore.
Poster Series: Dynamic illustrations of athletes by Ismar Mujezinović.
Signage Scope: Approximately 350 outdoor and 2,800 indoor direction boards installed before the Games.
Primary Identity Colour: Orange, used as the unifying structural colour for the signage system.
Official Musical Theme: "It Was Nice in Sarajevo, See You in Calgary" (Composers: Kornelije Kovač and Nikica Kalođera).

The design brief: Transforming a city’s image

When the International Olympic Committee (IOC) awarded the XIV Winter Games to Sarajevo in May 1978, the decision was a surprise to the international community. Sarajevo was the first city in a socialist and developing country to host the Winter Games, beating out established competitors like Sapporo and Gothenburg. The design brief, therefore, carried a heavy burden: the visual identity had to project an image of a modern, functional, and open Yugoslavia to a global audience of billions, while unifying a city undergoing rapid infrastructural transformation.

The Organizing Committee established a strict visual discipline early in the process. The basic elements of the identity—the snowflake emblem and the sports pictograms—were codified in a special handbook titled »Graphic Standards«. This manual dictated the rules for wider use, ensuring consistency across everything from tickets and accreditation documents to city decorations and the broad publishing activities of the organization. The visual system was not merely decorative; it was a functional tool designed to integrate the 163 major construction projects—including new roads, hotels, and sports venues—into a cohesive "Olympic city."

Art and graphic design: The »Sport and Art« programme

The 1984 Games are distinct in design history for the high-profile nature of their artistic commissions. The Organizing Committee, in collaboration with the "Visconti Art" gallery, launched the »Sport and Art« graphics portfolio to assert the cultural weight of the event. This project gathered sixteen world-famous artists from nine countries to create original works interpreting the Olympic spirit.

The roster was impressive, including Henry Moore, Andy Warhol, James Rosenquist, Cy Twombly, and Michelangelo Pistoletto, alongside Yugoslav artists Gabrijel Stupica and Dževad Hozo. These works were not literal illustrations but artistic visions of sport and humanism; for instance, Warhol applied his signature pop-art style to the figure of a speed skater. The graphics from this portfolio were reproduced as posters and postcards, circulating the high-art identity of the Games worldwide.

Complementing this international portfolio was the work of local artist Ismar Mujezinović. His series of posters focused on the raw energy of the athletes themselves. Using a distinctive, sketch-like style, Mujezinović captured the motion of slalom skiers and hockey players in a flurry of blue, red, and yellow strokes, offering a dynamic counterpoint to the more formal official graphics.

Pictograms and signage: A colour-coded system

To navigate the hundreds of thousands of visitors through the "Games of short distances," Sarajevo implemented a comprehensive system of visual communications designed by engineer Ivo Boras. The system was selected through a Yugoslav open competition and was characterized by its modularity and high visibility.

The signage system relied on a hierarchy of colour to bypass language barriers, though the Games officially operated in Serbo-Croatian, French, and English. The structural supports of the signs were painted a vibrant orange, the primary colour of the XIV Games' visual identity, making them instantly recognizable against the winter snow. The information boards utilized a specific colour code for different venues:

Dark Blue: Ice sports (skating and hockey).
Green: Nordic disciplines (cross-country and biathlon).
Violet: Bobsleigh and luge.
Silver-Grey: Opening and Closing ceremonies.
Black and White: General services (medical aid, post offices, restrooms).

The physical design consisted of wire-mesh frames holding interchangeable elements, allowing organizers to display three, six, or nine items of information—such as direction arrows, venue pictograms, and location names—on a single board. By February 1984, the city was saturated with this system: 350 boards were installed outdoors and 2,800 indoors. Remarkable for their durability and design quality, remnants of this system—specifically the orange metal frames and faded pictograms—can still be found today on the slopes of Bjelašnica and Jahorina, and occasionally in the city center, standing as rusted but resilient markers of the city’s Olympic heritage.

Emblem and identity: The Snowflake and the Wolf

The visual identity of Sarajevo '84 was anchored by two primary symbols: the official emblem and the mascot. The emblem was a stylized snowflake, derived from traditional embroidery patterns of the region. This geometric design symbolized the winter environment while simultaneously referencing the local cultural heritage of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It appeared on everything from the official flags flying from 1,300 flagpoles across the venues to the silver jewellery produced by local artisans.

The mascot, Vučko (Little Wolf), designed by Slovenian painter Jože Trobec, became perhaps the most enduring symbol of the Games. Chosen from 836 submissions through a public vote by newspaper readers, Vučko softened the image of the wolf—a typically fearsome figure in local folklore—into a friendly, charismatic character. The mascot was omnipresent, appearing in animated sequences, on souvenirs, and as a costumed figure interacting with crowds.

The typographic treatment for the Games was clean and modernist, utilizing a sans-serif typeface that complemented the geometric nature of the emblem and pictograms. The official logo often incorporated the text "Sarajevo '84" alongside the Olympic rings and the snowflake emblem. This consistent application was enforced by the "Graphic Standards" handbook, ensuring that the visual language remained coherent whether it was displayed on the side of an official Mitsubishi vehicle or on the header of the daily "Oslobođenje" newspaper.

Music and anthems: The auditory identity

Just as the visual system created a unified look, the auditory landscape of the Games was carefully curated to create a distinct atmosphere. The opening and closing ceremonies were grand musical spectacles involving the country's most renowned composers and performers.

Official Fanfares: The Games opened with a dedicated fanfare, signaling the start of the festivities.
The Olympic Anthem: The traditional anthem by Spyros Samaras was performed during the raising and lowering of the Olympic flag.
Official Pop Song: The closing ceremony featured the song "Lijepo je bilo u Sarajevu, do viđenja u Kalgariju" (It Was Nice in Sarajevo, See You in Calgary). Composed by Kornelije Kovač and Nikica Kalođera with lyrics by Duško Trifunović, this song captured the sentimental farewell of the host city.
Cultural Programme: The musical identity extended beyond the ceremonies. "Diskoton," the Sarajevo record company, released an "Olympic Program" set of records featuring Yugoslav classical music, contemporary compositions by Bosnian-Herzegovinian authors, and jazz. Famous pop and rock acts like Bijelo Dugme and Zdravko Čolić performed in the Olympic villages, while the folk song "Sarajevo, ljubavi moja" (Sarajevo, My Love) by Kemal Monteno became an unofficial anthem, sung by athletes and locals alike.

February 1984: Visual communications on the streets

During the twelve days of the Games, the design system transformed Sarajevo's streets into a navigable, branded environment. The city was dressed in the official colours, with the orange signage system guiding visitors from the airport to the city center and up to the mountain venues.

City Decoration: Banners and flags decorated the main thoroughfares, creating a festive corridor for the "Games of short distances."
Information Centers: The visual language extended to the information centers and the main press center at Skenderija, where journalists from around the world interfaced with the Games' identity.
Corporate Presence: Sponsors like Mitsubishi Motors (official car supplier) and JAT Yugoslav Airlines (official carrier) integrated the Olympic emblem into their advertising and vehicle liveries, further saturating the visual field with the "Snowflake" brand.
Technological Integration: The visual system even extended to the television screen. The "International RTV Center" utilized electronic graphic design units to broadcast the Games' visual identity to a global audience of billions, marking the first time viewers could watch a Teletext magazine in English and Serbo-Croatian with Olympic news.

Legacy: The afterlife of the Olympic identity

The design legacy of the 1984 Winter Olympics outlived the state that hosted it. While the physical infrastructure suffered heavily during the Siege of Sarajevo (1992–1996), the visual identity proved remarkably resilient.

Enduring Symbols: The snowflake emblem and Vučko remain ubiquitous in Sarajevo today, appearing on retro-style souvenirs, graffiti, and in the collective memory of the city. They have transitioned from official state symbols to icons of a nostalgic "golden age" of unity and peace.
Museum and Memory: The Olympic Museum, inaugurated on the opening day of the Games, continues to preserve the design heritage. It houses the original posters, the "Sport and Art" portfolio, and artifacts of the visual system, serving as a custodian of the city's Olympic identity.
Physical Remnants: On the mountains of Igman and Jahorina, rusted orange frames of the original signage system still stand, and fading pictograms can occasionally be spotted on older buildings. These weathered artifacts serve as silent monuments to a moment when design was used to welcome the world to Sarajevo.