Description:

Pompallier is a bespoke typeface inspired by the architectural heritage of Tāmaki Makaurau. At the heart of Pompallier’s design is the gesture of the human hand, backed by three-dimensional representations of lettering found on buildings and local monuments.

The brief outlined the desire to create a custom typeface that represents the aspirations of the Pompallier apartments, a vibrant and luxurious new development for the area. Rising atop of College Hill, below the iconic Three Lamps, the future-forward, mixed-use structure aims to revitalise, redefine and reshape the northern end of Ponsonby Rd and surrounding streets.

Drawing inspiration from the 19th century typographic landscape, Pompallier pays homage to the rich heritage of the Ponsonby Road area whilst also referencing architectural details of the development itself. Curves, shapes and angles from the original plans have all made their way into different elements of specific letterforms, reworked and reshaped to inform a wider typographic system. The outcome is a bespoke typeface that is both timeless and significant of Pompallier on Ponsonby’s ambitious design.