NYC Subway

Luca Vignelli reflects on his parents, Massimo and Lella Vignelli—legendary designers who created everything from furniture to typefaces, including the bold 1972 New York City subway map. Though initially hated and quickly withdrawn, the MTA has now revived the map, slightly revised, offering rare good news in tough times. “It was a diagram, not a map,” Luca explains. Speaking from Nerano, Italy, he shares insights into their legacy, their philosophy, and why they never saw themselves as artists.

These commentaries were conceived as celebrating the pleasures of country living, with occasional digressions. This is one of those occasions and one of…