XAMFRÀ
alè studio
Creative Direction & Brand Design — 2026
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Xamfrà is a typeface family inspired by the octagonal blocks of Barcelona’s Eixample. Every curve in the alphabet is replaced by a 45° cut, the same chamfer that shapes the district’s corners.
In 1859, Barcelona tore down its walls and needed to grow. Engineer Ildefons Cerdà answered with a grid of identical blocks, the Eixample, Catalan for “expansion”. The key move was at the corners: he cut each one at 45 degrees to open up the view and give the trams room to turn. The square became an octagon, and the octagon became the city’s signature.
In Catalan, that cut is called a xamfrà.
More than 150 years later, the grid is home to Casa Batlló, La Pedrera and the Sagrada Família, and it’s still one of the most recognizable cityscapes in the world.
Xamfrà is a commercial typeface designed by Alexandre Tobio / alè studio. All rights reserved. To license or purchase the typeface, get in touch.