The "Gastrotypographicalassemblage" is truly an amazing design. Legendary designers Lou Dorfsman and Herb Lubalin designed this typographical masterpiece for the cafeteria wall of the CBS building in the 1960s. The entire wall measures over 35 feet wide and 8 feet tall and is made up of over 1,450 intricately crafted letters. The wall is now being restored by The Center for Design Study with a goal to bring it back to its original state. You can read more about the restoration here and here.
This piece appeals to me in so many different ways. As a designer and lover of typography, I not only admire the sheer scale of a project like this, but also the well-thought composition and great use of the contrasting typefaces. The added dimension of the letters creates a nice sense of variety and balance while also allowing for interesting play of light and shadows.
Dorfsman's inspirational work has got me thinking of different ways that I would like to experiment with tangible typography on a larger scale.
