Architects love books, and the Storefront for Art and Architecture celebrated this passion for publishing at its Spring 2018 Benefit, presented at the New York Public Library on May 7. Pentagram designed the identity and motion graphics for the event, which centered on the theme “LIT,” a play on the abbreviation for “literature” and the slang for “intoxicated” or “exciting,” perfect for a party. The event also served as the launch of the first New York Architecture Book Fair, a new initiative by Storefront that will open June 18-23.
In the identity for the benefit, kinetic fields of black-and-white typography move through a bright red line that suggests the gutter of a book. Arcing on page-like curves, the type creates an illusion of dimensional depth and is set spinning in motion graphics.
This year’s benefit honored the conceptual artist Mary Ellen Carroll and the design publisher Lars Müller, whose imprint published the Manifesto Series and OfficeUS books (all designed by Pentagram). The event also introduced three new LIT Storefront Editions, the latest in the ongoing series of limited edition objects, including Watch the Watchers, a new book by Carroll.
Pentagram collaborated with Storefront on a number of previous projects, including the Spring 2016 and Spring 2017 Benefits and the exhibitions Closed Worlds, World Wide Storefront, and OfficeUS, the U.S. Pavilion at the 2014 Venice Architecture Biennale.
