they come off as kind of corporate but also in a taking-the-piss sort of way, as a couple of their works looks almost quite daring.
some of the principals (their history - experiences) seem a bit too good for them to just corporate bs-ers...
but some of their work looks really awful... i mean, like SOM awful...
i'm often slow with catching up to the latest trends...
so i ask you: am i missing something?
" Temporary sales center wrapped in flat, full-scale watercolor
renderings of potential homes, complete with real front yards
and fences, for a Disney-planned community in Florida"
looking through their portfolio, they have a hand in a lot! They are also working with some pretty giant coorporate clients. There are some things in there that are interesting. You said:
"they come off as kind of corporate but also in a taking-the-piss sort of way, as a couple of their works looks almost quite daring."
I agree with this statement after looking through their portfolio.
In a time of stifling labor shortages, how can a company get and keep industry superstars? The folks at architectural-design firm Pentagram think they know: make them partners.
Is this the best partnership ever? Meet the most smoothly functioning collection of prima donnas on the planet"
On the other hand, you have to admit that they have some pretty amazing people when it comes to graphic design like J Abbott Miller (formerly Design Writing Research) and Michael Bierut who are doing interesting and relevant work today.
i agree with e, they did a lot of revolutionary graphic design work back in the day, also did a lot of work on typography etc etc, but what they are doing now is crap
bump. I'd be curious what peoples opinion of this firm is now, three years later. They just placed in the Brooklyn Grand Army plaza competition, but there's no clear chronology in their portfolio.
I was told that it's written into the Pentagram constitution that a new partner should be made every three to five years, and that partner should be three to five years younger than the last...Peter Saville
They do some damn good work in print, identity, and even sometimes environmental graphics (though they also have their fair share of 'book on a wall' work). I was kind of surprised when I saw they hard an architecture department. Their graphics partners are world names: think the graphic design equivalent of a situation where Gehry, Mayne, and say, Norten, all worked in the same office, so that's where the attention goes and also where a lot of the big $$$ clients come in to play.
You have to be big for a bank or an airline to come to you. In getting big, all design companies lose the uniques skills that got them there in the first place. The brilliance of Pentagram was to construct an organisation that appeared to be big but in fact human and orientated around the creative abilities of individuals, not another corporate machine itslef. The Pentagram structure allowed you to talk from a position of scale and power, but to still be an individual...
Some of Pentagram's work is fantastic. Theo Crosby had been involved in progressive thinking in architecture, having seen the mistakes of blanket modernism. The first time I saw Ken Grange's 125 train I thought 'Wow, this is so space-age'. Before the formed Pentagram, Fletcher/Forbes/Gill had been the hippest graphics firm in London-They were even photographed in Vogue....
michael beirut, kit heinrichs and paula scher are like the super friends of graphic design. used to be even scarier when woody pirtle was also a partner.
i think the product design department has pretty much folded, as bob brunner (ex-apple) is now back on his own. his work while at pentagram sucked anyway.
super nice egoless people to work with--at the sf office anyway. really collaborative and nice to lowly freelancers like me.
The Montauk Residence has recently been featured in Wallpaper - which whilst being quite eclectic and whimsical, is also not too bad... Note the 50's style kitchen, pastel colours and timber coffee tables...
Sep 29, 08 11:42 pm ·
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what's with these Pentagram kids
has anyone heard / know of these guys...
they come off as kind of corporate but also in a taking-the-piss sort of way, as a couple of their works looks almost quite daring.
some of the principals (their history - experiences) seem a bit too good for them to just corporate bs-ers...
but some of their work looks really awful... i mean, like SOM awful...
i'm often slow with catching up to the latest trends...
so i ask you: am i missing something?
alls I've got to say here is:
wow, I guess I have this to say too!
" Temporary sales center wrapped in flat, full-scale watercolor
renderings of potential homes, complete with real front yards
and fences, for a Disney-planned community in Florida"
one more thing . . .
looking through their portfolio, they have a hand in a lot! They are also working with some pretty giant coorporate clients. There are some things in there that are interesting. You said:
"they come off as kind of corporate but also in a taking-the-piss sort of way, as a couple of their works looks almost quite daring."
I agree with this statement after looking through their portfolio.
yep, wisof - they do seem to have their fingers in lots of pies...
found an interesting article on how the firm works...
http://www.inc.com/magazine/19990901/12077.html
"The Pentagram Papers
In a time of stifling labor shortages, how can a company get and keep industry superstars? The folks at architectural-design firm Pentagram think they know: make them partners.
Is this the best partnership ever? Meet the most smoothly functioning collection of prima donnas on the planet"
their roots are in print. lately, they are becoming too big for their own britches. their product stuff is pretty bad too.
On the other hand, you have to admit that they have some pretty amazing people when it comes to graphic design like J Abbott Miller (formerly Design Writing Research) and Michael Bierut who are doing interesting and relevant work today.
they have a talent pool alright, but they should focus on what they are good at.
id like to have an office like this one, and be involved in designing all kinds of cool stuff
i agree with e, they did a lot of revolutionary graphic design work back in the day, also did a lot of work on typography etc etc, but what they are doing now is crap
i meant their architecture work....it actually horrible
bump. I'd be curious what peoples opinion of this firm is now, three years later. They just placed in the Brooklyn Grand Army plaza competition, but there's no clear chronology in their portfolio.
i will keep my mouth shut.....
/sprucehouse\
I think they still suck!
pentagram?- reminds me of like ozzy osbourne or some old 80's metal hairband, lol
Didn't they do the Harley Museum in Milwaukee?
I saw a set of drawings with their name on it...
ya faking evil is so 80s
They do some damn good work in print, identity, and even sometimes environmental graphics (though they also have their fair share of 'book on a wall' work). I was kind of surprised when I saw they hard an architecture department. Their graphics partners are world names: think the graphic design equivalent of a situation where Gehry, Mayne, and say, Norten, all worked in the same office, so that's where the attention goes and also where a lot of the big $$$ clients come in to play.
and yeah, I'll admit that if I were one of "these Pentagram kids" I would be a very happy rationalist.
so that's what was meant by...
You have to be big for a bank or an airline to come to you. In getting big, all design companies lose the uniques skills that got them there in the first place. The brilliance of Pentagram was to construct an organisation that appeared to be big but in fact human and orientated around the creative abilities of individuals, not another corporate machine itslef. The Pentagram structure allowed you to talk from a position of scale and power, but to still be an individual...
michael beirut, kit heinrichs and paula scher are like the super friends of graphic design. used to be even scarier when woody pirtle was also a partner.
i think the product design department has pretty much folded, as bob brunner (ex-apple) is now back on his own. his work while at pentagram sucked anyway.
super nice egoless people to work with--at the sf office anyway. really collaborative and nice to lowly freelancers like me.
The Montauk Residence has recently been featured in Wallpaper - which whilst being quite eclectic and whimsical, is also not too bad... Note the 50's style kitchen, pastel colours and timber coffee tables...
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