Recently I’ve started to really appreciate the old signage around Cork City and county. Much of the signage is made of stone which is why it has lasted so many generations. Old signage gives us the chance to look into the past and see how generations of Irish before us have read and communicated to one another. The photos below were captured during a walk through Sunday’s Well, Cork.

This ESB (Electricity Supply Board) limestone craved sign was bolted onto an old stone wall. Despite its small size it is a very impressive sign in its simplicity. The font has an industrial feel to it and reminded me of the Port Authority Bus Terminal signage in New York which inspired Hoefler & Frere-Jones to design the Gotham font famous for the Barack Obama Presidential election campaign. It got me thinking how similar the font craved out on the limestone ESB sign was to the font on the Port Authority Bus Terminal sign that inspired the Gotham font itself, (as seen in the Helvetica documentary). The geometric and clear lines of the ESB font show a type of font an engineer would design rather than a designer due to its pure functionality and simplicity. In the past engineers tended to design things to be produced easily which would explain the clean geometric lines of both fonts. Perhaps Obama saw the Gotham font as a typeface the working class could relate to. Judging by his unrivaled popularity and election win, it seems he may of been right.

This rendered sign for billboard and poster printers is really cool. It is partially damaged after someone plastered over it. Thankfully the most of the plaster has fallen off the sign. The font itself is similar enough to the ESB sign above but the “T’s” are slightly less uniform as are the “E’s & L’s”. The large 14 above in the serif font contrasts nicely with the sign. Despite the sign being virtually redundant in use, as the company has long since gone out of business, it is a fantastic visual link to the past.

The Waterworks building on the banks of the Lee is another nice sign. It has an interesting rendered border around the sign, the typography is once again very geometric and clear. The stone work of the of the building is fantastic, especially the borders around the windows and the roof edges.

This final stone sign I noticed is from 1644! Its a very simple font with thin lines and serifs to define the letters. The signage is obviously a religious sign craved into marble stone which was possibly the foundation stone of Sundays Well in Cork, which I think is pretty cool.

Cork City has some really cool sunsets. Luckily I had a camera handy for this great November sun closing down over Washington Street on the intersection with Grand Parade, over the Wholy Grain and next to Café Gusto.

Signage is an unique feature of Irish towns and cities. Every now and again I see a sign that really grabs my attention for its visual impact or simplicity, so I immediately photograph it in case its lost to a new development. Cork known as the Merchant City and was one of the main trading ports of Ireland, most buildings are hundreds of years old with a deep rooted history in the city. So if signage is not well designed on these old buildings, they really clash with the history and architecture of the city.

There are excellent examples of how new technology signage works well visually on old buildings but I can’t imagine any other signage on the William Clarke & Son building on Lavitt’s Quay. The sign is made of mosaic tiles and has fantastic rich detail. The red brick building really compliments the white and black tiles. The simplicity of the design and application of the tiles really make this building stand out. Well designed logos or identities today, would look just as good on this building with the same tiling technique, so perhaps old signage techniques is the new way for businesses to stand out?

Those seats will be empty the next few days

Due to the recent floods we will be working remotely for the next few days.

While our office is well above ground level, almost all of Cork city has been affected by a Water cut. If you need to contact us don’t hesitate to call at (085) 1511717 or email us at studio@irenses.ie

We know a number of businesses who have been badly affected by flood water damage and we wish them the best as they fix the damage.

The recent flooding is a real concern for residents and businesses alike here in Cork. Hopefully the worst is over for all concerned. I visited the point where the river Lee divides this morning. Parts of the surrounding area the Lee Road and the Mardyke Arena UCC – are still submerged. The photographs below don’t begin to capture the level of destruction from this flooding. We’ve had to leave our offices to work from home due to water cuts but its a minor inconvenience compare to others who have suffered and continue to suffer greatly. We offer all the residents and businesses alike our best wishes in the coming weeks as we approach Christmas.