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?

The area of Milton Keynes formerly known as ‘The Theatre District’ was recently rebranded as ‘12th Street’. This re-brand bought with it no less than three sculptures of the new street name. This example is white lettering stacked around 8ft tall. The sans-serif typeface has some qualities reminiscent of Art Deco styles, particularly the dropped crossbars in the letter ‘E’. Perhaps this is an attempt to evoke feelings of opulence or sophisticated evening entertainment. However, it is more interesting to me that the sculpture has been vandalised with black spray paint. Is this a sign of local distaste with the new name, or is a blank white canvas simply too tempting?

Location

Savoy Cres, Milton Keynes MK9 3PU, UK