DIN 4067
ELISAVA X Patrick Thomas Studio
Neukölln, Berlin
2024
The German Industrial Standard regulation stipulates that the signs must be weather-resistant enough that they neither fade nor deform even after years of exposure to moisture and strong temperature fluctuations. The blue colour is RAL 5010, the lettering must be white according to RAL 9002; DIN 1451 specifies the font: vertical bold medium font or bold narrow font.
Category
Course Work / Research / Photography / Binding / Print
As part of a one-week project, led by Patrick Thomas,
we were assigned a random postcode in Neukölln, Berlin, and challenged to explore a subject rooted in the everyday - something easily overlooked yet woven into the city’s fabric. Our task was to document and reinterpret it through a self-published piece.
I focused on Berlin’s blue water signs: small, utilitarian markers scattered across the city, often unnoticed despite their ubiquity. Designed to indicate underground water pipelines, these signs blend into the urban environment. Most passersby wouldn’t miss them if they vanished, but like all urban details, they quietly contribute to the character of a place.
In Neukölln’s 12045 district, I observed how these signs engage in a subtle dialogue with their surroundings. While their primary function is technical, many have been repurposed as canvases, carrying stickers, graffiti, and layers of unofficial messaging.
To capture their presence faithfully, I photographed each sign at a consistent distance using a smartphone, preserving scale and allowing close inspection of their textures, flaws, and typographic variations. For the final publication, I used screw binding, an intentional material choice that echoes the industrial context of the signs and honors their quiet craftsmanship.
SIGN LEGEND
[1] Individual numbering of the operator
[2] Type of fitting. The most common are:
S slide valve
ES drain slide valve
LS ventilation slide valve
K shut-off valve
AH shut-off valve of the connecting line
AV shut-off valve of the pipeline
LV ventilation valve
[3] Nominal diameter of the pipelines
[4] Distance from the sign (in meters)..