'Perhaps no city has ever been as mapped as London', suggests the brand consultancy firm dn&co as the basis of their 'Co-Ordinates' project. A willingly unverifiable statement perhaps, but certainly one with edifying currency – while far from the globe's oldest city (being founded by the Romans c.43 AD, it's pipped to that accolade by over 1000 years in Europe alone), London is a remarkable centre of historical, cultural and social significance, lauded by many and rarely surpassed.
Appropriate then, that dn&co have invited a host of willing participants to visually reimagine it via the medium of large-scale poster design. 'Whether you’re into complex infrastructure or pub crawls, or see the city as a playground or a battleground,' runs the remit, 'we challenge you to skew perspectives, distort to your reality and map to persuade.'
The project's 24 contributors include Pentagram, Applied Wayfinding, Build, Face37, Melissa Price, Magpie Studio, Studio Thomson and dn&co itself. Each practice was required to create an A1 sized artwork in two colours, to be printed on 270gsm paper (supplied by GF Smith, with no embossing) and verified by Peckham Print Studio. Of the 11 editions printed, each studio will keep a single copy – the remaining ten will be sold, with profits being donated to Streets of London, a charity that raises money for homelessness work in the capital. What's not to like?
The resulting designs are, inevitably, both beguiling and diverse: from the Yorkshire-based Build studio's breathlessly evocative typographical documentation of the city through the eyes (pen?) of a visiting northerner; to Pentagram's blown up reworking of the Geographer's A–Z Map Company insignia; Entente's abstracted explorations of structure and rhythm; Melissa Price's Public Information-chanelling geological exposition; and Studio Thomson's whimsical, irreverent riff on Routemaster signage. We can't wait to see the rest.
All of the designs will be on display as part of 'Co-Ordinates', from 23–27 September at dn&co's new Bermondsey gallery, Ground Floor Space.
’Whether you’re into complex infrastructure or pub crawls, or see the city as a playground or a battleground,’ runs the remit, ’we challenge you to skew perspectives, distort to your reality and map to persuade.’ Pictured: Face37’s Happiness, London visualises the results of a survey held by the Greater London Authority, in which city residents were asked to assess their overall happiness
London is far from the globe’s oldest city but it’s a remarkable centre of historical, cultural and social significance feted by many and rarely surpassed – making it ripe for a project like this. Pictured: Melissa Price’s Under London, a Public Information-chanelling exposition of the city’s geological make-up
Each practice was required to create a single A1 sized artwork in two colours, to be printed on 270gsm paper (supplied by GF Smith, with no embossing) and verified by Peckham Print Studio. Pictured: Pentagram’s A–Z, a blown up reworking of the Geographer’s A–Z Map Company insignia
Each practice will keep a single copy, while the remaining ten will be sold, with profits being donated to Streets of London, a charity that raises money for homelessness work in the capital. Pictured: Studio Thomson’s World’s End, for which the practice took inspiration from retro Routemaster signage rolls, evoking emotions of being lost, learning and understanding
The designs will be on display as part of ’Co-Ordinates’, from 23–27 September at dn&co’s new Bermondsey gallery, Ground Floor Space. Pictured: The Entente’s Skewed, a representation ’of how we perceive London, its inhabitants and its patterns... We don’t identify it as a gridded or structured in terms of physicality, but how the city works’
INFORMATION
’Co-Ordinates’ will be on show from 23–27 September at Ground Floor Space. Imagery courtesy dn&co
ADDRESS
Ground Floor Space / dn&co
3 Tyers Gate
London, SE1 3HX
-
The bespoke Jaguar E-Type GTO melds elements from every era of the classic sports carECD Automotive Design’s one-off commission caters to a client who wanted to combine the greatest hits of Jaguar’s E-Type along with modern conveniences and more power
-
Casa Sanlorenzo debuts in Venice as a new hub for contemporary artThe luxury yachting leader unveils a stunning new space in a palazzo restored by Piero Lissoni – where art, innovation, and sustainability come together
-
Once vacant, London's grand department stores are getting a new lease on lifeThanks to imaginative redevelopment, these historic landmarks are being rebonr as residences, offices, gyms and restaurants. Here's what's behind the trend
-
‘Designers are far more than just producers of commercial goods’: Samuel Ross on the London Design BiennaleThe artistic director of the major event and founder of A-COLD-WALL* discusses the role of a designer and the future of the sector in an exclusive interview
-
London Craft Week 2025 highlights – what to see this weekendLondon Craft Week 2025 (until 18 May) brings together some 1,000 established and emerging makers. Here is everything we saw and loved so you don't miss a thing
-
Erasers become architectural illusions at Gallery FumiLondon duo Study O Portable unveil 'Rubber Rocks', trompe-l’œil furniture made from erasers, exploring themes of materiality, memory and architectural decay
-
Liberty at 150: a history of the brand in 10 objectsLiberty is marking its 150th anniversary; to celebrate, we remember products and prints that helped make the department store the cultural touchpoint it is today
-
A first look inside the new Oxford Street Ikea. Spoiler: blue bags and meatballs are includedThe new Oxford Street Ikea opens tomorrow (1 May), giving Londoners access to the Swedish furniture brand right in the heart of the city
-
What to see at London Craft Week 2025With London Craft Week just around the corner, Wallpaper* rounds up the must-see moments from this year’s programme
-
Nature sets the pace for Alex Monroe’s first sculpture exhibitionThe British designer hops from jewellery to sculpture for his new exhibition at the Garden Museum, London. Here, he tells us why nature should be at the forefront of design
-
On the Isle of Man, the secret history of designer Archibald Knox is revealedThe mysterious life and works of local designer Archibald Knox is celebrated in a retrospective at Manx Museum, spanning silverware, furniture, clocks and more
