Geotype Submission

The Geotype project charts the rich history of lettering and type forms that have established the identity of cities and towns around the world. Explore the map

How does this letter-form communicate its location?

In 1938, the Beresford opened as a hotel for those attending the Empire Exhibition. The designer and proprietor of the hotel, William Beresford Inglis, was an architect who specialised in designing cinemas. He modelled the hotel’s façade on the distinctive lines and the scarlet and black colours of contemporary cinema theatres. At seven stories high, it was referred to as Glasgow’s first skyscraper at the time (Wikipedia, 2019). It is now a category B listed building and one of the city’s best Art Deco examples. It was a student halls of residence (Baird Hall) until 2004 when it was converted into private flats – and reverted to its former name of the Beresford. The metallic letters remind me of the GFT and possibly point to Glasgow’s & the architect’s love of cinema. The curved towers of the façade are reflected in the bowls of the letterforms, which also remind me of sails & possibly point to Glasgow’s shipbuilding past. The bar on the E is below centre which is reminiscent of the popular Neutraface font by Christian Schwartz, 2002 and reinforces the Art Deco style (McNeil, 2017, p.594). –––––– Mcneil, P. and Laurence King Publishing (2017). The visual history of type. London: Laurence King Publishing. Wikipedia Contributors (2019). Beresford Hotel. [online] Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beresford_Hotel.

Location

460 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, UK