PolyU Name, Motto, Logo and Brand Identity

Module: 00 Overview · Sub-file: Symbols This article gathers PolyU's core visual and cultural symbols: the motto, coat of arms, colours and naming history, and looks into the school song and the Logo designer (recording what has a basis in fact, and explicitly marking what is "not established" — no speculation). For a deep reading of the eight-character motto and the naming history of "理工/Polytechnic" in both English and Chinese, see motto-and-name-identity.md.

A university's coat of arms hides two "not established" questions — who designed it, and what the red-and-grey colours signify. Neither is answered on PolyU's official pages. This article marks these gaps plainly rather than guessing on the University's behalf.

---

# 一、The Motto: 开物成务 励学利民

• "开物成务" comes from the I Ching, "系辞上" (Commentary on the Appended Phrases): 夫《易》，开物成务，冒天下之道 — meaning to comprehend the principles of all things and accomplish the tasks of the world.
• "励学利民" means to study diligently and benefit the people.
• The English motto, To learn and to apply, for the benefit of mankind^※ (learning for application, for the good of society), echoes the Chinese and underscores PolyU's positioning as an applied, practice-oriented institution serving society — a continuation of its industrial/polytechnic heritage.

# 二、The Coat of Arms / Logo

According to PolyU's official glossary, the current university logo developed from the emblem designed in the early 1970s for the then Hong Kong Polytechnic^※, with the following design language and symbolism: interlocking circles at the four corners symbolising "P" (Polytechnic) and "U" (University)^※; retaining the "T" motif standing for "technical excellence"^※ from the earlier emblem; and an open perimeter symbolising the University's increasing interaction with the world^※.

Popular accounts often link the visual identity developed around PolyU's 1994 elevation to university status with Hong Kong designer Kan Tai-keung. However, the official PolyU glossary only states that the current logo "developed from the emblem designed for the Polytechnic in the early 1970s" — it does not name the designer of the 1994 logo on that page. On the basis of existing official sources, this site records the claim that "Kan Tai-keung designed the 1994 logo" as "no official determination", and refrains from asserting it, so as not to perpetuate a claim that has not been confirmed by a first-hand source.

# 三、The Colours: Red and Grey

• PolyU's colours are Red and Grey^※, used widely across the logo, visual identity and signage.
• As to what the red-grey combination specifically signifies, this site has found no unified, named official explanation in the University's sources, so it records only the colour names and does not speculate on their meaning (no official definition found).

# 四、The Naming History

• Institutional name timeline: 1937 Government Trade School (香港官立高级工业学院) → 1947 Hong Kong Technical College (香港工业专门学院) → 1972 Hong Kong Polytechnic (香港理工学院) → 25 November 1994, re-named "The Hong Kong Polytechnic University / 香港理工大学"^※ upon its elevation to university status (full history in history.md).
• The name "Polytechnic / 理工": inherited from the Polytechnic era, it signals the institution's applied, professional and technology-oriented tradition; the word "理工" was kept upon elevation to university status, giving the Chinese name 香港理工大学 and the English The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. For the full decision history — the choice of "理工" in 1972 and the deliberate retention of "Polytechnic" in 1994 — see motto-and-name-identity.md.

# 五、The School Song / Theme Song

• PolyU has no traditional "official school song/anthem" on record; what exists are anniversary theme songs (such as the 85th Anniversary theme song^※) — occasional commemorative compositions rather than a standing school song.
• Accordingly, this site records the "school song" entry as: the University has no standing official school song, only anniversary theme songs ("traditional school song" does not apply).

---

# 六、The Red-Brick Campus as a Visual Symbol

PolyU's main campus is defined most visibly by its red-brick building complex. According to the University's publication Excel@PolyU (October 2019 issue), the campus's red-brick style dates to the early 1970s and the design team led by architect James Kinoshita, then of Palmer & Turner^※. The report notes that "The design resembled the red brick architectural style of traditional British and American universities." This choice linked PolyU to the visual language of Britain's traditional universities, replacing the concrete then customary in Hong Kong with red brick, while the podium design — each building raised one storey and interconnected — created covered, semi-open shared spaces suited to Hong Kong's hot, rainy climate.

Red brick has become the visual code for "Poly" in Hong Kong's urban culture. ZOLIMA CITYMAG has called it "Hong Kong's underrated modern landmark^※", treating the PolyU campus as an important part of Hong Kong's twentieth-century architectural heritage. More than twenty buildings in a red-brick idiom (named A–Z, with the exceptions of K, I and O) are linked by walkways and podia, forming a "connected red-brick city" unique in Hong Kong.

"Hung Hom" holds a special place in PolyU's symbolic system — from the completion of the new Hung Hom campus in 1957, "红磡理工" (the Hung Hom Poly) became the popular shorthand for the school, carrying more warmth and historical weight than the formal name. To this day, although the official name is now "The Hong Kong Polytechnic University", "红磡理工" or the abbreviation "理大" remains the everyday usage, and Hung Hom serves as the institution's geographical marker.

---

# 七、The Jockey Club Innovation Tower — A New Contemporary Symbol

The Jockey Club Innovation Tower is PolyU's landmark building of the new century, set against the traditional red-brick pattern: designed by Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid^※; completed in 2014^※; with a floor area of about 15,000 square metres^※. It serves as the main building of the School of Design; according to the School's introductory page on the Tower^※, it houses a lecture theatre, 10 classrooms, design studios and workshops, together with exhibition spaces and a shared viewing lounge, and can accommodate about 1,800 staff and students. Sitting at the edge of the campus, it contrasts sharply with the classical idiom of the red-brick cluster, and is a classic example of Hadid's fluid-curve language. The architectural world counts it among Hong Kong's signature buildings — a spatial metaphor for PolyU's dual identity of "traditional polytechnic + cutting-edge creativity".

---

# 八、Symbol Quick-Reference Table (full version)

---

# 九、Standard Colours and Brand Guidelines

PolyU's brand identity system sets out standardised definitions for the red-and-grey palette: PolyU Red is the most visible brand colour on campus, used for the logo, large-format publicity, signage and digital media; PolyU Grey is used alongside the red, mainly as background and typography. According to the University's Brand Guidelines, the colours must use Pantone reference numbers for print to ensure consistency, with corresponding RGB/HEX values for digital media. However, the publicly accessible brand-guidelines pages on PolyU's website do not list the specific colour values, so this site does not guess at the exact figures (refer to the official brand package).

PolyU's visual identity system has gone through several updates since the 1970s: in 1972, on becoming "Hong Kong Polytechnic", the University commissioned Palmer & Turner (led by James Kinoshita) to design the emblem, laying the visual foundation of red brick plus the P/U/T logo; in 1994, on gaining university status and the formal name "The Hong Kong Polytechnic University", the current "interlocking circles + T" logo evolved from the 1970s emblem; through the 2000s–2010s, brand-building became systematised, with unified specifications for colours, typefaces and spacing; in 2014, the Jockey Club Innovation Tower was completed and Zaha Hadid's building became a new image symbol, setting "traditional red brick + cutting-edge curves" in visual counterpoint.

---

# 十、Sub-brands of Faculties and Research Centres

PolyU's faculties and major units all use the same red-and-grey scheme under the parent brand, but maintain their own sub-brands:

The motto 开物成务 励学利民 — "To learn and to apply, for the benefit of mankind" — appears across many PolyU occasions: at graduation ceremonies it is a standing theme, printed on ceremony programmes and venue banners; in freshman orientation the University uses it to explain the value orientation of an applied university; in external brand communications, recruitment materials and the signing of international cooperation agreements invoke it as a distillation of the University's spirit; in physical campus identity, engravings or displays appear at the main campus entrance and in administration buildings; and annual reports and research digests use it as the introduction to PolyU's "learning for application" educational philosophy. From a semiotic standpoint, the motto satisfies both "classical origins" (the I Ching) and "modern expression" (benefit of mankind), making it a typical case study in bilingual brand management among Hong Kong institutions.

---

# 十一、「理大」(PolyU) as a Brand Identifier

The characters "理大" (and the English abbreviation "PolyU") have long outgrown the formal name to become independent brand identifiers: "PolyU" is the most common abbreviation in English-language contexts, appearing across academic papers, media coverage, event sponsorship and more; "理大" is the standard term in Cantonese-speaking regions, while "理工" is an even earlier nickname still in use; "The Hong Kong Polytechnic University" is used in official documents, agreements and degree certificates. According to the University's brand guidelines, "PolyU" and "The Hong Kong Polytechnic University" are the authorised external names; other abbreviations require approval.

For the formation history of the "PolyU" and "理大" abbreviations and how the brand became entrenched, see motto-and-name-identity.md.

---

# 十二、Anniversary Visual Systems, Sports Identity and Brand Usage Rules

For major anniversaries, PolyU launches a dedicated commemorative visual system: for the 85th Anniversary (2022), the University released a bespoke visual mark and theme song under the theme "Gratitude · Moving Forward", and ran a series of academic, cultural and community events (see strategic-outlook-2020-2026.md); the campus houses several commemorative installations marking key milestones since PolyU's founding in 1937, some of which have become popular photo spots; around each anniversary, the Students' Union and the University jointly hold open days, alumni gatherings and community outreach; during anniversary celebrations, commemorative branded materials are printed, usually in official PolyU Red accented with gold or grey.

PolyU's sports teams share a unified kit visual system: home kits are dominated by PolyU Red with white and dark grey accents; the chest usually carries the "PolyU" wordmark and shield elements of the logo; teams wear the unified red kit when competing in the USFHK league; the corridor of the Sports Centre displays the trophy cabinet and banners of past USFHK overall championships; some teams (such as the swimming and athletics teams) have separate bespoke training kits ordered individually by members (see ../23-athletics-rivalry/sports-and-arts.md).

PolyU strictly enforces copyright protection over the logo, the University name and the "PolyU" mark: the logo is a registered trademark of the University and may not be used commercially without authorisation; the official brand manual requires specific typefaces, colour codes and minimum sizes; student unions, department societies and student organisations must obtain approval from the Office of Student Affairs before using the logo on event materials; external partners wishing to use the PolyU logo on joint publicity materials must be authorised by the Office of External Affairs / the relevant cooperation department; any commercial use of the PolyU name requires the University's written consent.

As social media and digital communication have spread, PolyU's visual identity has also been adapted for the digital age: a simplified square logo version for social-media avatars and thumbnails; video openers/closers using colour-consistent animated branding; unified "香港理工大学" account identification across WeChat and Weibo on mainland China's social platforms; a simplified "P" icon as the website favicon; and adjusted versions of some official digital content for dark backgrounds.

---