Overview
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A pictorial poster that displays the technological breakthoughs that made skyscrapers over 1000ft a possibility.
Architectural Interest
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The initial brief was to explain how something in particular worked. My research showed that most people want to travel and see the world because of either architectural or natural beauty. I chose to show how skyscrapers worked because they are constantly a thing of massive interest for tourists. I picked the Chrysler Building in particular because it was the first building ever to reach the standards that many deem make a building a skyscraper. It holds many of the technological breakthroughs still being implemented today in new skyscrapers.
Anatomy
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The layout of the poster was informed by annotomical drawings of mammals and humans, as used in biological studies and publications. I decided that it was the best way to display the information as the skyscraper itself could sit in the middle, while small features could be enlarged around the edges. I added figures so that details about the the feature could be explained at the bottom of the piece.
Typography
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The 1920s were also the birthplace of geometric sans serif typefaces. I decided to use the Gotham type family as it is largely based on the signage used throughout New York, the birthplace of the Chrysler Building. I found it great for legibility and also for setting the tone I wanted for the piece. Even though it has been created within the last decade it is very much akin with the early geometric typefaces and thus appropriate to use.
