Graphic identity, website design and printed materials designed byLara Coromina ParcetforCODA, the 2nd Young Architecture Biennal of Catalonia, which took place atCol·legi d’Arquitectes de Catalunya (COAC)in Barcelona during October 2025. The design featuresComma Type’sCMM Codain itsNormalizedversion throughout. Referencing the musical figure of the coda – an independent ending that rewrites itself, that reiterates, that deforms under its own rules – we claim an ending not as closure, but as a threshold. A gesture that is articulated from inherited frameworks and transforms them into possibility. Following the manifesto’s call to “recognize failed, unfinished, or obsolete architectures as active parts of the landscape”, the graphic identity was built by gathering textures using frottage. This analogue technique, which consists of rubbing paper with a pencil directly against material surfaces, became the starting point for creating visual impressions of the surrounding environment: non-linear traces of architecture, marks of what is worn, unfinished, or already turning obsolete. From these traces, a visual system of overlapping textures, lines, patterns, and typography was developed, echoing the manifesto’s idea of a “persistent, dense atmosphere”. In this landscape, ruins are not endings but material to work with, and the biennial’s identity embraces the end (Coda) as a place of possibility, where what remains can be reactivated, layered, and transformed into something new. CODA was curated byNaiara Albizua&Carmen Salas(objet a) and organized byAJAC Agrupació de Joves Arquitectes de Catalunyaunder the direction ofDani MontesandGuillem Elvira. Website code byClara Layti. All photographs byNatalia Vaquero. Risograph printing byDo the Print.
The typography radiates experimental intellectualism with a deliberately rough, analog texture that mirrors architectural decay and renewal. CMM Coda's Normalized version provides structured readability while the overall system embraces imperfection through frottage-derived textures, creating an energy that's both academically rigorous and materially grounded in architectural reality.
CMM Coda's monospace characteristics and geometric construction provide the systematic foundation necessary for an architectural biennial's complex information hierarchy. The Normalized version offers improved readability while maintaining the typeface's distinctive character, allowing it to hold its own against the heavily textured backgrounds derived from architectural rubbings. Its technical precision contrasts beautifully with the analog imperfections of the frottage technique.
Working as a single typeface system, CMM Coda's weight and style variations create clear hierarchical relationships while maintaining visual cohesion across all applications. The monospace foundation provides consistent rhythm and spacing that works systematically across digital and print formats, while different weights distinguish between primary information, supporting text, and navigational elements without competing with the rich textural backgrounds.