As part of the Dream Library Project, a series of mini-libraries for the New York Public School System, sponsored by McGraw-Hill and in association with Helpern Architects, we developed a series of animal forms created entirely out of typographic characters. These AlphaPets (we have about thirty to date) are designed to act as a learning… Continue reading Dream Library “AlphaPets”
Category: Everyday
Everyday type things
Remember the Good Old Days?
It is presently 70 degrees (21 Celcius) in New York. Just a reminder of what it should look like at this time of the year. (I took this picture three years ago on January 20th in the Rambles in Central Park. It shows the early morning sun striking the Dakota apartment building at 72nd Street,… Continue reading Remember the Good Old Days?
Accidental Appleman
We were all slicing away at an apple from the Union Square Market during lunch today when we looked down and discovered we had created, quite unintentionally, this inscrutable appleperson. What a nice way to begin the year. Serendipity Rules.
Sake Barrels and Torli Gates
The shrines and temples of Japan abound with iconic views, in this instance a wall of Sake barrels, used as part of purification rituals, and an avenue of Torli gates, at the Shinto Hie Shrine in Tokyo.
Fukuoka Subway: On the Right Track
One of the delights of being invited to conferences is meeting new colleagues and discovering their work. This was particularly the case in Kyoto in October, where among many new introductions, I met Toshimitsu Sadamura, the designer of the new Fukuoka City Subway, Nanakuma LIne. This ten-year project puts other subway systems to shame for… Continue reading Fukuoka Subway: On the Right Track
Prayers and Pachinko (and Fish)
Three images taken in Tokyo during my visit to Japan last month to make a presentation as a keynote speaker at the Universal Design Conference in Kyoto. More to follow.
Late For Work Again
You don’t often think of public support of the Arts in the context of street entertainers, but the MTA is to be lauded for encouraging much of what is heard in the Subway system. As a result, over the years I have often arrived at work a little later than intended, although this horn player… Continue reading Late For Work Again
A Banner Year
“The Urban Forest Project presents the work of 185 celebrated (that’s nice) designers, artists, illustrators and photographers from 21 countries. Each banner uses the form of a tree, or a metaphor for the tree, to make a powerful visual statement. Together they create a forest of thought-provoking images at the crossroads or the World, one… Continue reading A Banner Year
Children’s Museum Mural Nears Completion
Ben and I have spent the last week in Rancho Mirage, California, overseeing the installation of the mural we have designed for MGA Partners, Architects’ Children’s Discovery Museum of the Desert. Consisting of over 4,000 nine inch square aluminium tiles, the mural has a base image of eyes, the predominant mechanism of discovery, to create… Continue reading Children’s Museum Mural Nears Completion
Official Signs and Icons 2
For those of us who have to deal with symbols and icons on a regular basis, and there can’t be many of us who don’t nowadays, Mies Hora’s new publication Official Signs and Icons 2 is a wonderful resource. It comes both as a book and a CD (containing outline EPS files) which you can… Continue reading Official Signs and Icons 2