Respira
Sharp Type · Lucas Sharp & Wei Huang · 2024
A contemporary blackletter distilled from Andalusian illuminated manuscript traditions, stripping 15th-century Spanish letterforms to austere vertical stems with minimal serifs and no extraneous flourishes.
About
Respira draws on a particular style of Spanish blackletter found in illuminated manuscripts of Andalusia, a tradition Lucas Sharp first encountered at the Cathedral of the Incarnation in Granada. Designed by Lucas Sharp and Wei Huang, it condenses the drama of historical blackletter through plain vertical stems and understated serifs, discarding the complex hairlines and flourishes that characterise most contemporary blackletter. Available in a single Black weight with five stylistic alternate sets and comprehensive Latin language support, it suits logotypes and editorial display work that calls for historical texture with restrained execution.
Classification
Contemporary blackletter drawing on a distinctive style found in Andalusian illuminated manuscripts of the 15th–16th century; vertical stems are simple and austere with understated implied serifs, discarding the complex hairlines and flourishes of traditional blackletter; single Black weight only; five stylistic alternate sets (SS01–SS05); design also influenced by the physical deterioration of the source manuscripts, where faded hairlines created a high-contrast, near-stencilled appearance