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A project exploring the use of a typographic intervention in a non-space.
The chosen building used to be a section of the Atlas Paper Mill and has housed a small cafe more recently. However, as seen on the exterior, it has now become an abandoned building with no purpose.
The building has multiple leftover traces that hint at the history of both failed businesses and is often neglected by the commuters that pass by the building. Hence, the phrase “Quiet Failings” encapsulates the past and present situation of the building, marking its transition from a place to a non-place.
The typography is designed using the grid system of the metal frames at the storefront. Composed of metal frames and mirror engravings, “Quiet Failings” is designed to purposefully blend with the existing structure of the building.
The deliberate choice to replace the missing window planes with a mirror allows the typographic intervention to interact with the environmental lighting as it changes over time. The reflection of the mirror thus encourages pedestrians to interact with the intervention and attract more attention to the building. It also prompts the viewers to have introspection of themselves to contemplate the meaning of “Quiet Failings” as they look at their reflections.