Photographs by LMN, Jeff Wilcox, click to enlarge
I walked (sans the twin) to the Seattle Central Library yesterday. May I just say (if you can’t tell from the photographs) that it is exquisite? It is. Nothing will grow a fascination for architecture like standing in it, experiencing an idea that was once only an inkling. This was done by OMA & LMN. It opened in 2004 and I remember going to see it early on but wandering it by myself yesterday was a totally different experience. It’s not the easiest to navigate but if you’re a brave and unashamed explorer, way-finding signage and other bold graphics make it less daunting. I think that perhaps what makes it less intuitive is the strangeness of it all. It’s so unconventional and alien that standard navigational intuition is thrown off. Well, that’s a theory anyway. Experiencing the grandeur of something like this makes me proud of humanity, just a little bit. So you may not have a library like this where you live, but I still think libraries are brilliant. You have little excuse not to read, but laziness.
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Jean Francois Porchez
‘The Blank Sheet’ – Jean Francois PorchezI went with some co-workers on Wednesday night to see the world renowned type designer, Jean Francois Porchez speak. He packed the large university lecture hall and had its rapt attention the entire time. His client list includes Luis Vuitton, Yves Saint Laurent, Beyoncé Knowles, France Télécom, RATP (French Public Transport), and many others. The talk was fascinating, even if you know nothing about what goes into creating a typeface. Perhaps especially if you know nothing. His accent was exactly as it ought to have been: perfectly french, thick, and grammatically imperfect but the embodiment of charm itself. See for yourself below. Retiro is one of the typefaces he showcased (pictured above) and by far my favorite. Even here, you cannot fully appreciate the nuances and eclectic range of characters. It was created for the Spanish magazine, Madriz. A close second is the AW Conqueror family. If you’re a designer, you’ve no doubt encountered these and eaten them up. Yes, Jean is behind those as well. I encourage you to read more about him and explore his work. Begin here | typofonderie.com
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