Urgell

Urgell is a display typeface designed by Ramiro Espinoza and inspired by a vintage Deco-style street sign located at Comte d’Urgell 16 in Barcelona, Catalonia. The original sign features distinctive geometric forms and playful irregularities that have long attracted the attention of type enthusiasts and lettering artists. Integrated into the urban fabric, it reflects a time when commercial signage allowed room for formal experimentation and expressive solutions.
Espinoza examined the structure, rhythm, and particularities of the original lettering and translated them into a contemporary digital typeface. Rather than copying the sign directly, he refined consistency, adjusted proportions, and expanded the character set for modern use, while paying close attention to Catalan typographic conventions. The resulting design retains the recognizable charm and idiosyncratic qualities of its source.
With its clear Deco references and unconventional edge, Urgell is well suited for posters, labels, branding, editorial design, book covers, signage, websites, and visual identities that benefit from a geometric yet expressive typographic voice. Rooted in early twentieth-century urban lettering, Urgell brings a modest but memorable fragment of Barcelona’s graphic heritage into contemporary design practice.