Altona
TypeMates · Albert-Jan Pool, Julia Uplegger, Antonia Cornelius · 2024
A constructivist display serif designed by Albert-Jan Pool, Julia Uplegger and Antonia Cornelius, drawn from the angular street signs of Hamburg's Altona district.
About
Rooted in the late-1920s constructivist lettering of Hamburg's Altona district, the typeface is defined by its angular counters, curved vertical serifs in letters such as C, a distinctive k leg and a stubborn t, with diagonals suppressed in M, W, X and Y. Five weights run from Light to Black with variable font support, and over 1,200 glyphs per style include small caps, circled figures, stylistic alternates and a set of 160 Hamburg-inspired icons covering landmarks, ships and maritime symbols. Stylistic Set 02 adds decorative strokes to uppercase letters for more expressive headline work.
Classification
Altona is classified as a display serif with angular counters, vertical emphasis and geometric construction drawn from 1920s constructivism, intended primarily for headlines and large-scale use rather than continuous text.