Metallography is back on the scene in Gdynia. The Traffic Design Association unveiled two new projects at the end of 2021, which proved to be a great success. What effect did they have?
Traffic Design logo
© Traffic Design
We have writtenabout the activities of the artistic collective Traffic Design several times. The association is engaged in activities in the field of art and design in public space. They also conduct animation and research activities and organize cultural events. They focus on Gdynia, although you can also meet them in other cities.
The group became famous for their re:design action, in which they created a new visual identity for small local businesses and craftsmen. The action resulted in improved public aesthetics, and proved to be a marketing boost for businesses. Traffic Design does not limit itself in other fields, they worked with a developer in Gdynia, who referred to the tradition of Gdynia modernism.
association's latest project
© Traffic Design
A few months ago, the association presented its new project, which we wrote about on the portal. Metalographs, or graphics carved in metal, were to decorate the city, introducing new accents to it. The next project presented by the association is a continuation of this series.
what is a metallomural?
Traffic Design's first new realization is the design of a metallographic mural for Primary School Number 21 in Gdynia. The author of the project is Marta Przeciszewska.
metalomural on a school wall
© Traffic Design
The mural was painted in a subdued color scheme consisting primarily of beiges, grays and blues. Some of the details were made of metal, including the school number, fish and a cloud. The artist was inspired by the building's function, related to children 's dreams and learning, as manifested in the book, trees and children's figures. The city of Gdynia was also a direct inspiration, with the mural depicting fish from the monument at Seaside Boulevard and a fountain from Kosciuszko Square.
School logo made in metal
© Traffic Design
The project was created as part of Marta Przeciszewska's dissertation and will be developed with elements of graphic identity.
gourmet
Another unusual project is the creation of a mural and a new sign on the Smakosz milk bar, which is located in Gdynia's Chylonia district. The whole project was designed by the Traffic Design team.
The front elevation of the Smakosz milk bar building
© Traffic Design
We are happy to introduce design and promote good design practices in places that usually don't have huge budgets, but instead are accessible to users, regardless of their wallets, says Monika Domanska of the Traffic Design team.
On the blind wall, the designers created a mural in bright orange and beige colors based on contrast. The elements creating the impression of abstraction are vegetables, fruits and kitchen utensils. A new sign on the front of the building was also designed. The team did not expect the effect the change in visual identity would have.
The mural on the blind wall
© Traffic Design
The reach of the project exceeded our expectations. The Facebook page of the re:design Association alone saw more than 125,000 viewers. Thanks to the interest of the media and Internet users, the weekend attendance record at Tasty was reached on the Saturday after publication. The food ran out at 1pm and the team had to make up the food expressly to feed all the visitors. We couldn't have imagined a better start to 2022," Monika Domanska recalls.
this is just the beginning
The Traffic Design Association has already announced a new attraction. In the spring, unique insect hotels will be erected in Gdynia, supporting biodiversity. Replacing the identity of the milk bar shows how a small aesthetic change can create and exploit the potential of a place. It remains to wait for further actions and believe that the association 's actions will be emulated in other cities.
