Fernhout
The Foundry Types · Wim Crouwel · 1963
A digital revival of Wim Crouwel's 1963 modular lettering for the Van Abbemuseum's Edgar Fernhout exhibition, expanded into a complete typeface by The Foundry Types.
About
Originally a single-use poster title designed by Crouwel for a 1963 Van Abbemuseum exhibition, the letterforms were built on a rectangular grid system with circular segments and angled indentations. The Foundry Types completed the alphabet, solving the harder diagonal glyphs without departing from Crouwel's original logic. It won a Type Directors Club Award for Typographic Excellence when used for Dutch Design Week 2021 in collaboration with Thonik.
Classification
Constructed from a strict rectangular grid of two-wide by three-high units, with circular segments and angled indentations forming each glyph. The system is entirely modular and geometric, placing it firmly in the display category as a constructed alphabet rather than a text typeface.