The design highlights every geometric shape through the use of color, while the geometric module matches the fence height for the new typography to perfectly adapt to it
Description of project by Boa Mistura
We’ve had the privilege of coming back to Berlin thanks to Bauhaus-Archiv to work at the perimetral fence surrounding the construction site of the extension of the current Walter Gropius' Bauhaus archive building.
This time, we've developed a new site-specific alphabet, based on the modular alphabet by Josef Albers.
STEP 1
Albers’ typography is made up of squares, circles, and triangles, meaningful shapes in the Bauhaus’ universe. That’s why we started by deconstructing the letterforms.
STEP 2
Based on the structure, we highlight every geometric shape through the use of color. Our starting point is a color palette by Gunta Stölzl, a skillful textile artist, which allowed us to skip the rule that establishes the yellow triangle, the red square, and the blue circle.
The next step responds to the typography adaptation according to the horizontal proportions of the fence.
STEP 3
We duplicate each character to have a visual reference of the two halves that compose the letterforms. We slightly overlap both parts to add new geometry and visual rhythm.
STEP 4
We keep the most recognizable part of the letter, discarding the ascender and descender heights of every character. We match the geometric module with the fence height for the new typography to perfectly adapt to it.
The proposed quote is by Hannes Meyer, the second director of the Bauhaus: “Bauen und Gestalten sind eins” - “Construction and design as one”.
