great design vol.7 crumpled city maps
For centuries, maps have been tools for traveling, discovery and adventure. Crumpled City maps are extremely light yet very strong, and 100% waterproof. Designed to be stored without folding, the maps can be scrunched up or rolled into a ball. At the core of the design is a gesture game, enabling users to crumple a document – an act that may be considered taboo. Yet the act is liberating and enjoyable, especially with when the user does not wish to dispose of the map but in fact wishes to retain and reuse it. This ongoing project was an instant hit. Palomar has created maps of more than 50 cities across the globe, along with an illustrated children’s collection and some astronomy maps. Concept and creative direction by Pizzolorusso. Packaging identity by Alvvino. - http://pizzolorusso.com/crumpled-city-maps/ These maps are an innovative use of Tyvek, an HDPE (high-density polyethylene fibre) - a plastic that thinks it’s a paper. It is super strong and lightweight, weather and tear resistant, and printable like regular paper. Common applications include security envelopes and speciality packaging, these maps are amongst more creative uses for the material.
I love the reckless fun these maps enable, the freedom they afford the user. Instead of a common city break experience of a ripped and dilapidated map (especially if you’re impatient like I am), damaged by weather and being stuffed in a pocket, these maps survive undamaged even when used carelessly.
Designer Pizzolorusso has imbued a sense of play in this contemporary reinvention of this fundamental travel tool but crucially without compromising on function, something I always respect in design.
