We recently discovered a treasure in the segd archives. Nyc subway map, new york subway, massimo vignelli, abrams books, graphisches design. Nyc subway map designed by massimo vignelli, 1972 brooklyn on the cover. Vintage 1970s vignelli subway map unearthed at subway. Massimo vignelli, visionary designer who untangled the. He was the cofounder of vignelli associates, with his wife, lella. Massimo vignellis 1972 new york city subway map is well remembered both as a beautiful example of modernist design and as a notorious victim of public shortsightedness. His ethos was, if you can design one thing, you can. Vignelli subway map watch mta subway uncommon goods. Unimark was given the job of updating all the subway signs and the brief extended to a map, the company had some experience in this area having worked on prototypes for the much.
An historical catalogue of maps of the new york city subway system. The nyc subway diagram was designed in 2010 by massimo vignelli, beatriz cifuentes, and yoshiki waterhouse. Massimo vignellis enduring nyc subway legacy curbed ny. Massimo vignellis 1972 nyc subway map is back yours for the low, low price of 299 bucks for one copy of the limited edition of 500. Lines running local, then express and then local again is a special feature of the new york city subway that. Unveiled in 1972, vignellis subway map distorted new yorks boroughs in order to make some sense of them. A groundbreaking work of information design, the subway map continues to be used by over a billion people each year. A nightservice map, created by charles gordanier of the mta, was first released in january 2012. The weekender map vignelli on the left and the official map tauranac on the right. When designer massimo vignelli s redesigned new york city subway map appeared in 1972, people were less than enthusiastic. Peter lloyd a subway map fan and most of the maps in the book are from his collection looks at one particular map. Authority 1970 graphics standards manual, designed by massimo vignelli. This diagram represents all lines and stations of the new york city subway system. Each watch face has a fragment of vignellis iconic diagram centered on your choice of four stations or landmarks.
The great new york subway map, written and illustrated by emiliano ponzi and published by the museum of modern art, in association with the new york transit museum, tells the fascinating story of the map s creation in 1972 by the great italian designer massimo vignelli and his team, and introduces young readers to the idea of graphic design. Massimo vignellis schematic map of 1972 raised questions about design methodology. Peter lloyd uncovers the history of the vignelli map that includes the legacy of the people who created and promoted this new york iconas well as those who hastened its demise. Lines running local, then express and then local again is a. For most of the nineteenseventies, the official route map of the new york city subway system was a beautiful thing. Created in 1972, massimo vignellis revamp of the new york city subway map was as heralded by design nerds as it was reviled by new yorkers. More than iconic, the new york city subway map is a coat of arms for a way of life. Graphic design legend massimo vignellis nyc subway design. Lella and massimo vignelli jan conradi, sunday, november 2, 2014. Its designer, massimo vignelli, had sacrificed geographical accuracy for clarity by reinterpreting new yorks tangled labyrinth of subway lines as a. The great new york subway map the story of new york citys subway map begins many years before massimo vignelli designed the version that is now hailed as a design classic. Before 1940, the subway system was made up of three companies. That would have given new jersey the clarity that manhattan currently has in the map.
Previous mefi comments on the famed design, which the new york mta eventually shitcanned. Nyc subway diagram 2008 by massimo vignelli for mens vogue. Transit maps rit press, 2012 and the rest in the forthcoming self. Interborough rapid transit irt, brooklyn manhattan transit bmt, and independent subway system ind. City maps street maps city plans illustrator pdf coreldraw. He uses numerous examples to convey applications in practice from product design via signaletics and graphic design to corporate design. Even though massimo didnt get to design the maps, he did design the signage for the dc metro subway, so he absolutely managed to leave his mark. Not only is hearing massimos voice a treat, but he shares the basic concept of his new york subway map design, its evolution and why he insisted on abstraction in spite of. Hurrah sign painting lives on and this new book documents it perfectly.
Against a worldwide trend for metro maps to be diagrammatic ov. The maps come in printed versions or as an online pdf file. The map is based on a new york city subway map originally designed by vignelli in 1972. Vignelli gave modernist shape to book covers, shopping bags, furniture, corporate logos and, famously, a subway map. Classic 1970s new york city subway map designed by italian artist massimo vignelli.
He is a packaging designer, a furniture designer, a graphic designer and so much more. Here we get to see some of massimo vignellis metro subway map ideas, even though they werent actually used. Vignelli has designed the identity for american airlines, and signage for the nyc subway system and the dc metro system. Vignelli would later use that typeface in a 1972 map of the new york city subway, itself celebrating its 45th anniversary this year. Spearheaded by vignelli, and considered to be one of the most iconic pieces in the history of graphic design, the official 1972 map of the new york subway system was given a mixed reception. The history of the nyc subway maps offers a specialized area for students of design, who must surely know the name massimo vignelli, the modernist designer who named the dc metro and created the notorious 1972 nyc transit map that, writes the mta metro transit authority, reimagined the mta new york city transit subway system as a neat grid. Using concepts from vignellis iconic subway map design of 1972, the new diagram was informed by satellite data and rebuilt for greater clarity and legibility. Massimo vignelli shows his subway signs proposed for the washington metropolitan area transit authority in 1968. Keep track of how late the g train is running with this watch featuring pieces of authentic new york city subway map designed by legendary italian modernist massimo vignelli. The story of vignellis new york city subway map has been ably told by. The subway map that rattled new yorkers the new york times. Subway map enthusiast creates a more geographically. Unrealised dc metro subway map designs by massimo vignelli. In a post yesterday on curbed, i reworked several maps to incorporate planned but unbuilt subway routes.
The famous italian designer massimo vignelli allows us a glimpse of his understanding of good design in this book, its rules and criteria. Browse massimo vignellis nyc subway manual on twitter. Vignelli, designer of famous subway map, defends his. Half design porn, half design bible, this manual has been. The map design was inspired by massimo vignellis 1972 new york city subway map. Vignelli, the celebrated designer, died may 27 at 83. The manual describes the design and construction for the iconic nyc subway. As has been pointed out, the original vignelli map actually had 30 different colors.
The vignelli map wasnt radicalit owed a great deal to the famous london underground map of 1933 by henry beck, an updated version of which is still in use. Nyc subway map designed by massimo vignelli, this board seems to be getting tangential regarding maps. When designer massimo vignellis redesigned new york city subway map appeared in 1972, people were less than enthusiastic. The vignelli subway map of the future the weekly nabe.
Massimo vignelli nyc transit map uncovered in a midtown. My own suspicion, discussed in my book, is that the original design suffered from the. Arthur weindorf subway collection, pr 127, department of prints, photographs, and architectural. As described in the daily news 8672 in order to stress the transit routes themselves, the geographical features of the city are faded into the background in. Vignelli transit maps describes the history of the new york subway maps and follows this citys transportation growth from separate, independent lines to one large system. Mta new york city transit bergen street sign shop, new york, ny. Still, youd be hard pressed to find evidence of the vignelli map in todays subway stationsunless, that is, you happen to be at the 57th street station on the f line. The vignelli subway map goes digital the new yorker. Washington, dc metro map quilt pattern, pdf downloadable.
When massimo vignelli redesigned the new york city subway map in 1970, he also put together a lengthy mta graphics standards manual. The map of the new york city subway system was designed in 1972 by massimo vignelli. The designer transformed city geography into sleek. See more ideas about subway map, map and metro map. I tend to think its a bit overpraised and the fact that it was largely deemed unusable by the public has been too conveniently written off by its fans. January 10, 1931 may 27, 2014 was an italian designer who worked in a number of areas ranging from package design through houseware design and furniture design to public signage and showroom design. Massimo vignellis nyc subway manual is coming back in print. By original i was thinking of the nyc part of the above map. Another vignelli map seen in at the 57th street6th avenue f train subway station in 2010. Massimo vignelli, celebrated designer whose work included. Photos of vintage nyc subway maps dating back to 1928 oof, how amazing would one of these old massimo vignelli designed subway maps be as framed art. My own suspicion, discussed in my book, is that the original design suffered from the line colourcoding scheme that it had inherited. Where previous versions relied on a more recognizable approach to the.
The color scheme for each route has remained basically the same although the representation of the routes have changed. The book also discusses the reintroduction of the vignelli map in 2008, comparing and contrasting it against the other modern player in the new york subway map market eddie jabbours kick map jabbour writes a preface for the book, and his admiration for vignelli s design philosophy and body of work is obvious. In a book illustrated for the moma, emiliano ponzi tells the genesis. Map enthusiast creates a more geographically correct version of vignellis old subway map posted on tue, july 22, 2014 by dana schulz in design. Vintage massimo vignelli subway map new york, new york. Detail, new york subway map, massimo vignelli, 1972. Massimo vignelli explains his iconic 1972 new york city. Carnegie hall, washington square, penn station, or grand.
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