Monumental Typography for Public Space

The lecture will address the role of writing in the built environment of the 21st Century and the contemporary representation of bilingual (Arabic & Latin) lettering in the built environment. It will focus on the symbolic role of typography as the connector between city, building, and visual culture. It will also discuss the relationships between the aesthetic and formal aspects of the typefaces and the material, ideology and design of the respective periods. It will argue the importance that text can play in building an engaged and culturally sustainable public space that responds to contemporary needs.