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From Word to Code:
Kobi Franco’s Typeface
Eran Neuman

In 2019, the designer Kobi Franco exhibited a series of typographical works created in his Molecular Typography Laboratory. These works were all based on a system of letters that he developed by building on biological principles from the field of genetics. These principles determined the identity of the primary elements he calls “atoms,” which make up the letters of the typeface he designed. These elements — a square, three vertical rectangles of different sizes, and two parallelograms — served to compose the 27 letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

In developing his molecular method, Franco offers a fascinating paradigm for the creation of typefaces. From a historical perspective, set, identifiable typefaces were created with the emergence of printing and the standard­ization imposed on the evolution of handwritten letter­forms. Prior to the advent of printing, writing obeyed certain rules, yet changed from one scribe to another, in accordance with their handwriting and the region in which they worked. Following the invention of printing and the molding of letters into fixed molds, letter­forms became permanent, allowing for the creation of a set range of typefaces that were used over and over again in various texts.

Eran Neuman is Professor of Architecture and Dean of the Faculty of the Arts, Tel Aviv University, and the founding director of the Azrieli Architectural Archive, Tel Aviv Museum of Art. Neuman has written and edited close to a dozen books, has published numerous articles, and has curated some 30 exhibitions in Israel and abroad. His research focuses on the history of local and international architectural culture, and on advanced technology’s impact on architecture.

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