Thonik "brings graphic design to the streets" with its Amsterdam studio
Graphic design studio Thonik's co-founder Thomas Widdershoven and MMX Architecten have transformed a bold typeface into a simple monochrome pattern that covers a six-storey building block in Amsterdam.
Built as an office for the Dutch graphic design studio, the entire exterior is covered in a simple combination of black and white lines that were pulled from the Mexcellent typeface ? a trilinear-stripe font that was created for the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City.
Along with Thonik's offices, which are on the second, third and fourth storeys, the building contains a sake bar on the ground floor and a Japanese Omakase restaurant on the first floor.
The upper stories contain an event space and are topped with a rooftop garden with views across the city's financial district.
"This building is grid-based and very graphic in its construction ? the windows and the walls create a homogenous grid, which is echoed by the lined pattern on the facade," said Widdershoven.
"Thinking in terms of a grid, which is a basic graphic system, is a good way to translate 2D into 3D," he continued.
"Both graphic design and architecture are in the public domain for everyone to see but a building has a longer lifespan ? at least 50 years ? and as such requires a design process that keeps longevity and long-term relevance in mind."
As the building was Thonik's first, Widdershoven leant on the studio's experience designing other so-called "supergraphics" for...
-------------------------------- |
Wire cage supports disc-shaped diffuser in Front's Plane lamp for Zero |
|
Joy Group Office: Revitalizing Shanghai’s Corporate Workspace
27-04-2024 08:34 - (
Architecture )
Amber Place: Zen-Inspired Remodel
27-04-2024 08:34 - (
Architecture )