If you're anywhere near Victoria Street in London, you might have come across these hoardings for developer Land Securities – effectively a bespoke typeface for Victoria, where each letter is the cue for a little story about the area.
Hat-trick Design came up with the idea and the somewhat beautiful design. I worked with them on researching and writing the individual stories.
This 'N' is about New Scotland Yard and how the famous sign outside makes 14,000 revolutions per day. A passing policeman seems
interested.
W – Westminster Abbey
Technically, Westminster Abbey no longer exists. Its real name is the Collegiate Church of St. Peter, Westminster. It continues to be known as Westminster Abbey even though no monks have lived there since the 16th century.
V – Victoria Memorial
The Victoria Memorial in front of Buckingham Palace was sculpted by Thomas Brock in 1911, with a surround by architect Sir Aston Webb. The winged figure at the top is the Angel of Victory, representing a time when Britannia really did rule the waves.
I – Illusion
Even native Londoners sometimes do a double-take when they realise many of Victoria's most famous landmarks, including the Houses of Parliament, lie south of the London Eye on the South Bank. The loop in the river means it's anything but a straight dividing line.
The nice thing about the system is that it can be used for several developments in which Land Securities is engaged throughout Victoria. You can mix and match the letters to create new words and phrases depending on the context and available space.
I don't have a picture of the 'Z' right now, but can confirm it proved a headache until 19th-century eccentric Sir Walter Rothschild came to the rescue. Legend has it he once drove a zebra-drawn carriage into the grounds of Buckingham Palace to prove to the world that zebras can be tamed. I'm very glad he did.
(More of Hat-trick's somewhat beautiful work here.)
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