Typeface Design for Fontwerk

Seven years in development before its 2020 release

Turbine is a neo-grotesque typeface designed by Felix Braden and published by Fontwerk, characterised by wide proportions and tight spacing aimed at clear announcements. The design period ran from 2013 to 2020, with the initial release in July 2020, variable font support added in February 2022, and a minor update in April 2025. The family ships in 14 styles across static and variable formats. Its name references the rotating turbomachine of a hydropower plant, consistent with Braden's water-themed font catalogue under his Floodfonts foundry.

Set in Turbine

Insights

The design period spanned 2013–2020, nearly seven years before the v1.00 release.
Variable font implementation came separately in February 2022, with a single weight axis; upright and italic .woff2 files each weigh 46 KB.
Mastering and production involved three credited contributors—Andreas Frohloff, Christoph Koeberlin, and Rosalie Wagner—distinct from the type designer.
Braden's prior typefaces earned recognition: FF Scuba in the Communication Arts Typography Annual 2013 and Kontiki nominated for the German Design Award 2019.