Brasilia #3 by Bureau Bordeaux: thoughtfully designed reflections on the subject of waiting

Under the art direction of Hannover-based design studio Bureau Bordeaux, each volume of Brasilia thoughtfully considers a single, versatile theme through the voice and vision of contributing design students at University of Hannover.

Bureau Bordeaux, working alongside a trio of bright designers Jasper Eisenecker, Arne Meyer and Christian Vukomanovic, compile the content simply yet imaginatively, laying out its contributors disparate perspectives side-by-side, through clashes and juxtapositions in composition, type and colour.

“For Brasilia No. 1, we once set up some pretty rough typographical ground rules that specify the layout grid, the logo placement and the use of three typefaces — MT Grotesque, Times and an additional style font, that varies from issue to issue and fits the topic,” say the Bureau Bordeaux team.

This edition of Brasilia considers the notion of “waiting”, approaching the subject from all angles in a series of written, illustrated and photographic editorials — Katrin Brümmer sees waiting as a test of endurance, while Nikita von Teickenberg and Laura Bingemer view that same boredom as a stimulus for inspiration.

The third volume’s bold front and back covers are a departure from the design of the previous two editions, featuring instead of a full page image two black and white photographs (the famous image of Boris Spassky and the referees expectantly awaiting his opponent Bobby Fischer in Reykjavík) contrastively surrounded by yellow space. “By combining two pictures that were taken by different photographers during the world chess championship, we wanted to compare the two protagonists by showing them in totally different waiting positions,” explain the Bureau Bordeaux team.

Throughout, the page numbers run backwards in an anticipatory countdown to the end, heightening the anticipation the publication seeks to convey. The German-language magazine previously covered the topics of neighbours (#1, 2014), and ideals and doubt (#2, 2015).