The design of this third volume for Galpão da Lapa was developed in close connection with the exhibition design for Apaixonados (“Passionate”). The show brought together works by contemporary Brazilian artists in a display that emphasized interaction, both among the artworks and with the space, sometimes by affinity and sometimes by contrast. This dynamic was spatially translated into a layout of curved concrete-block walls, shaping the exhibition space into zones of pause and interaction, where voids, textures, and shadows also played an active role in the narrative.

The book seeks to reflect this same spatial and poetic logic in its graphic and material structure. The dust jacket, featuring a die-cut pattern derived from the architectural design, acts much like the perforated walls of the exhibition: at times revealing, at others concealing images and information, creating layers of reading and points of contact between content and materiality. The choice of papers was fundamental to support this concept.

We selected a black 290 g/m² paper for the dust jacket for its solid color and natural texture, which allows for precise die-cutting without exposing white corners, while preserving structural integrity – reinforcing the idea of shadow and material presence, also central to the exhibition design – while alluding to the negative spaces formed by the curved walls. For the cover, a warm gray 120 g/m² paper was chosen for its texture and subtle tone, echoing the color of the exhibition walls and allowing for black offset printing of the title and artist names, partially hidden beneath the dust jacket, which carries only a white silkscreen print on the spine.

Inside, the book alternates between a coated paper – ensuring high-quality image reproduction – and an uncoated off-white paper for the first and last sections. These opening and closing pages feature more abstract, black-and-white details of the artworks, marking the beginning and end of the book with purely graphic interludes.

These choices align with the architectural concept of Galpão da Lapa, a former 19th-century industrial warehouse in São Paulo’s Lapa neighborhood, repurposed to host temporary exhibitions of Brazilian contemporary art. The publication is part of a bilingual series (Portuguese and English) documenting the exhibitions held in the space. Each volume was designed to establish a specific graphic relationship with the curatorial and spatial proposal of its show. In this edition, the book assumes a more tactile, sensorial character, functioning not only as a visual documentation, but as a physical object that carries, within its materiality and graphic structure, the concept of the exhibition and the identity of the space itself.

The book was one of the winners of the AIGA 50 Books | 50 Covers of 2024.

Photos: Nino Andrés and Allec Gomes

For the 2022–2023 season of Le Lieu Unique, Brussels-based studio Ekta reimagined the visual identity by playfully disrupting the historical logo of the national center for contemporary arts and music venue in Nantes. The three iconic bars are exploded across layouts to create dynamic spaces for text and imagery, all set in the Staff type family. A photographic series by Charlotte Marchal explores “perfect imperfections,” echoing Erik Kessels’ quote: “Mistakes set us free. They allow us to see things differently

Translated from Ekta’s website:

We started from the existing historical logotype to shake it up and revisit it.
Superimposed onto the visual elements of the events, the three “bars” of the logo are used like captions. By exploding their format and layout on the page, we free up spaces dedicated to typography and practical information.

Using the basic elements of the logo and embracing its off-balance composition allows us to create a multitude of graphic signs related to the original logo. A large number of materials are “stamped” with these simple yet always different graphic elements.

Continuing the dynamic applied to the logo, we aimed to shift the viewer’s perspective, to avoid freezing anything in place.
In collaboration with Charlotte Marchal, we proposed a series of photos reflecting the theme of “perfect imperfections” (Erik Kessels). Happy accidents and poetic displacements joyfully disrupt the reading of these images.

Multiple styles and widths from the Staff Collection by R-Typography are used on the Saber Fazer website. The project aims to offer a window into Portuguese traditional arts and crafts:

Saber Fazer, initiated by the Portuguese DGArtes, showcases traditional Portuguese handicrafts as both tangible and intangible heritage. The website offers rare photos and comprehensive information about the arts, practicing artisans, and their distinctive creations. This platform serves as a gateway to understanding techniques, raw materials, regions, natural landscapes, and historical contexts.

Conceptualized by The Home Project Design Studio. Joana & Mariana from Porto executed the design, while V-A Studio from Lisbon developed the digital platform.

Drive is a venture capital firm helping founders build the next generation of world-class companies with their thesis that “greatness is in our backyard,” not just Silicon Valley or the coasts.

Studio Freight worked with the Drive team to deliver one of the most striking and bold brands in the venture capital space. This typographically driven identity makes use of several weights from five of the seven widths of R-Typography’s Staff. In addition the regular-wide styles, this includes the XXX Condensed, XX Condensed, Condensed, and Wide. Staff is supported by Klim’s Founders Grotesk Mono.

See the system in action at drivecapital.com.

BRR 2018: Quando a periferia se torna trendy is an account of the contemporary social and cultural life of the city of Barreiro. The articles and essays compiled here, ranging from fiction to personal views, are the result of a transdisciplinary work between academics, cultural agents, journalists, writers, artists, designers and civil society organizations.

Designed by local designer José Mendes, the book brilliantly evokes the industrial historical background of Barreiro and its people, through a strong use of photography and typography. The book is set in Staff and Sul Mono alongside with José Mendes’ own constructivist font called Ferramenta de Coisas based on his memory of shapes from Barreiro factories.