On September 28, Storefront for Art and Architecture held its annual benefit at the Grand Central Oyster Bar, honoring the artist Mel Chin, the arts leader Deana Haggag and the architecture firm SO–IL. Pentagram designed the identity for the event, which supported Storefront's exhibitions and public programs.

Anyone who has eaten oysters under those Guastavino vaults knows the sign. Rudolph de Harak's logo for the restaurant packs its letters tight, rims them in heavy black outlines, and fills them with colors straight out of a crayon box. Against the wood paneling and old tile, it has always looked like the one guest in the room who came to have fun.

Pentagram started with a simple question: what would the rest of that alphabet look like? The answer is a custom display typeface with a full set of letters and numerals. Strokes are broad, corners are clipped, and counters are angular. The O is an octagon with a diamond punched through its middle, and that shape sets the rules for every other character. Blue, green, yellow, orange, red, and purple take turns filling the forms.

The playful, custom typeface becomes the central image of the identity. “Storefront Gala 2026” appears in compact stacks and stepped arrangements, with rotated numerals adding an unexpected twist. Letters meet along their black outlines, forming continuous compositions that feel assembled from colorful building blocks. Smaller sans serif typography organizes the event information around these expressive forms.

The system runs across digital announcements, posters, a folded program, screen graphics and embroidered caps. Some pieces set the colored letters on white, while others flood the ground with a single saturated color and let the type push back.

Pentagram has collaborated with Storefront since 2012, designing identities for its benefits, exhibitions and publications.