A second life: with KF Zuka, Kanon Foundry delivers a contemporary edition of a forgotten typeface

In Kanon Foundry’s practice, engaging with and learning from design history is an integral part of their creative process. “I’ve always been fascinated by the historical aspects of design, and the events that have shaped the design and expressions we have today,” Co-founder & Type Designer Tor Weibull tells us. “It is a great way to understand our heritage and also becomes a good source of inspiration.” One day, when sifting through Switzerland’s design history, Weibull stumbled upon the story of Züka – Zürich Canton Trade and Agriculture Exhibition. The event, which seamlessly brought together contemporary ideas of art, design and innovations from the agricultural scene, came to life on the edges of Lake Zürich in the late summer of 1947. As Weibull leafed through archival photos of the exhibition, his eye was drawn to a display typeface seen all over the space, used in title signs and the wayfinding system. A bit of further digging, and the story of the typeface unfurled itself; called Züka-Schrift, the typeface was crafted exclusively for the exhibition by designer and lettering teacher Walter Käch. Weibull was enchanted by it. “There were several reasons why I was intrigued by Züka-Schrift,” he reveals. “Firstly, I really liked the expression of Käch’s design; it looks very contemporary despite being created in 1947. As I immersed myself further in the historical context, it became apparent that Züka-Schrift’s innovation was remarkable for its era.” Interestingly, despite its creation a decade before Helvetica, it shares striking similarities with the iconic typeface. “However, Züka-Schrift is rarely, if ever, acknowledged for its role in shaping the emerging Neue Grotesk genre,” says Weibull. Perhaps the reason why the typeface never gets its due is partly because it never was made available commercially. To pull this oft-overlooked history – and the very typeface – out of the pages of yellowed books, Weibull decided to create a digital interpretation of the font. “Interpreting it felt like a nice way of honouring Käch’s work and putting it back on the map,” he adds.