The City in Flux

The

CITY in

Flux!

A collection of images and typography which represent issues within today’s cities.

THE CITY...

The city is a strange place. So natural to us but yet so unnatural. While we marvel at the grand architecture, complex road networks and general bewilderment of the sheer amount of information available we often forget things.

Common questions are simply filtered out as we are so use to seeing the impressive structures that we live and work in. But... there was a time when the city as we know it was simply not possible.

Aspects of a forgotten past can be seen in every city on the planet. Whether

its abandoned WW2 bunkers in Berlin, derelict mills in London or the empty apartment blocks left to rot in Chernobyl.

Looking on a smaller scale plenty of high streets having at least on boarded up shop or house.

So... All these forgotten buildings, once a powerhouse of economic growth lay abandoned, as shadow of what they once where. But... what if there was a way to bring back a bit of the magic from when the structure was first opened?

Some would say it would be impossible

without thousands of pounds worth of renovation which in a way is correct although I’m not willing to do that.

Through the use of typography I hope to create a strong narrative, offering an alternate view point. I will focus on issues within the city such as dangers and the social aspect.

To do this I will gather images from various locations including my home town and larger cities such as Huddersfield.

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AREA MAP

4

THE OLD OFFICE The office can be a scary place. Walking into the bosses office is daunting and can literally for some mean the end of your career. This photo was taken near Gomersal

in an abandoned office building called Maxess.

After surviving the elements and two fires for more than three years it’s no wonder the place is a wreck.

Plaster hangs down from the walls and roof whist smashed glass and other debris litters the floor.

Any items of value were looted long ago leaving an erie shell.

“By working faithfully eight hours a day, you may get to be the boss and work twelve hours a day” - Robert Frost

Gomersal - Maxess Offices

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COPPERPLATE Copperplate Gothic was designed by designed by Frederic W. Goudy and released by American Type Founders (ATF) in 1901. The font uses a strange combination of both serif and san - serif traits which gives

the font a timeless quality. The typeface was only designed in capitals as it was created to be used for headlining key words other than the entire body of a text. I have used Copperplate in this project because it reminds me of old

shop signs form the early 1900’s, which populated the highstreets of the time.

These signs can still be seen today although they have been taken over by more modern fonts, more often than not Helvetica.

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Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz 20pt 50pt

01234 56789 50pt

Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz 25pt 70pt

Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx 30pt 100pt

COPPERPLATE COPPERPLATE

City in Flux City in Flux Copperplate Bold - 82pt

Aa Bb Cc Copperplate Light - 82pt

EDUCATION Education in this country is considered second to none with millions pushed into Schools, College’s and Universities. Although... is all children taking the same test really fair?

While some excel others my not, and vice versa yet they are judged on these grades for the rest of their life. The school pictured in this photograph has been abandoned for years although aspects of school life still remained. The building had transformed from a friendly environment to a dangerous empty shell, due for demolition.

Gomersal Closed Primary School

LOBSTER Lobster was designed by the Impallari studios.

It was a tricky font to create as cursive fonts have to correctly join up with each letter, creating thousands of different

combinations.

Lobster connects well but it’s also easy for the user to manipulate, creating beautiful cursive pieces based off the font. I have decided to include this font because

it’s commonly seen around the city, but in a different way to Helvetica and Copperplate. It can easily be found in cafe menu’s as well as leaflets and posters.

Lobster

Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz 30pt 100pt

Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz 35pt 130pt

135pt

City in Flux!

City in Flux!

100pt

100pt

Aa Bb Cc

DANGER’S

LURKING The city is full of dangers, there literally everywhere.

From busy roads to, electric cables, structures and other people. Thankfully most of us manage to avoid these

on a daily basis although we are constantly warned of them “Caution unsafe roof” etc litter the sub urban scene. This photograph was shot on a housing

estate and pictures an old transformer box. Thankfully it doesn’t pose any real dangers as long as you don’t jab it with a metal object...

“Electricity is just organised lightning” - Robert Frost

Cleckheaton - Electricity Transformer

LONELINESS It’s hard to imagine that people can be lonely within a city simply because of the vast number of other people constantly surrounding them, although

in some cities in the UK more than 20% of people are known to be taking anti-depressants.

Shocking Right?

The advancements in technology also add to this, as more

and more people are putting down the phone, instead communicating through social media and texting.

Emoticons are the closest emotional representations.

“We are all so much together, but we are all dying of loneliness�

- Albert Schweitzer

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THE BLACK

MARKET Trade generated by the black market damages business around the world, not to mention that they are generally selling stolen or fake goods. The black market doesn’t exist in the sense that it takes place in one physical place although if it did I imagine this would look like the entrance... plus the bouncers.

Huddersfield Back Street

HELVETICA THE FONT THAT CHANGED THE WORLD Helvetica was designed by Max Miedinger and Eduard Hoffmann who were influenced by the famous 19th century typeface Akzidenz-Grotesk.

Helvetica can be seen almost everywhere we

look in the modern high street. It’s used in shop signs, leaflets and even car manufacturers such as TOYOTA. In fact what your reading is Helvetica!

I decided to include it in this project as it practically represents

the modern city, street signs use Helvetica because of it’s clarity. Even when we look down at our phones it’s there!

It’s a typeface that is taken for granted, we would truly be lost without it.

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City in Flux Helvetica Light Oblique

City in Flux Helvetica Regular

City in Flux Helvetica Oblique

Helvetica

Helvetica Light - (65pt)

Helvetica

City in Flux

City in Flux Helvetica Bold

City in Flux Helvetica Bold Oblique

1234567890

Aa

Aa

Helvetica 58pt

Aa

TECH Technology has dramatically changed the way we live, it literally changes every aspect from work to cooking and relaxing. But... How does this affect children?

Well empty playgrounds and parks are beginning to be a much more common sight as youngsters instead decide to play on computers and other devices. Hopefully one day this will reverse, where children will once again flock back to the eire abandoned playgrounds.

East Bierly Empty Playground

TRAFFIC Our road, rail and airways are what keep our cities alive. They bring a constant supply of goods and tourists which allow cities to expand and grow, both economically

and in size. Despite all the positives there is a considerable amount of negatives.

Pollution is one but they danger they pose is huge. Buses and lorries crash by at 30mph right

next to pavements full of pedestrians.

Unfortunately all too often people are killed due to accidents on the roads.

‘Traffic is one of the only side effects of growth�

- Roy Barnes

Huddersfield - Pelican Crossing

MONEY Money, it controls all of us. Every aspect of our lives, the homes we live in, the car we drive and the food we eat, it’s is all determined by our income.

Although for some people the temptation is too much. Credit cards and overdrafts stack up and before you know it the bailiffs are knocking at the door. The streets are

unfortunately full of homeless people although there are refuges for them such as soup kitchens and the salvation army.

“Wealth is the ability to fully experience life” - Henry David Thoreau

Huddersfield - Cash Machine

The

CITY in

Flux!

University of Huddersfield, Graphic Design 2014

Alexander Nicholson