We were invited to redesign the CornellJournalofArchitecture, beginning with “Fear,” its 11th issue.

Launched in the 1980s and most recently designed by Dexter Sinister, the student-led project has to date been published inconsistently, sometimes with many year gaps between releases. With this frequency in mind, we introduced a chunkier, more bookish format with a linen cover and upgraded production details to extend the Journal’s shelf life during periods of dormancy.

We also converted the publication from black and white to four colors, embracing a jarring palette for this fear-themed issue that both nods to chromophobia (a fear that has been known to afflict architects 😉) and creates a sense of tension and unease.

Along with our work on the magazine, we also reimagined the Journal’s website, expanding its functionality so the site can serve as a repository for all issues of the publication, which date back to the 1980s.

On the site’s Issue page, each installment of the Journal is represented by a single image that appears in a kaleidoscopic animation when a user hovers over an issue link.

When an issue is selected, the animation becomes a static background layered below the issue’s content. An otherwise minimal site design prioritizes comfortable reading and browsing, much like the newly redesigned print magazine.

Each page of the site layers over the next, creating a sense of depth as the user explores.

The entire site is searchable, allowing users to explore over 40 years of content.