Art integration in real estate projects

Many developers and architects have the full focus on size, function and architecture at the start of new projects. They have always worked in this way, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

If we look back to the 16-19th century, art was always a part of architecture, and architecture a part of art, and in this way the owner got a better quality and more important and interesting building, there are still important and valid today!

For some reason this way of working was forgotten, and today we are looking into way too many bland projects/buildings. Buildings we know will be worth nothing and forgotten in 10-20 years. Buildings there doesn’t give any value back to the community and don’t maintain or increase its value. Is this what kind of legacy we want to give on to the next generations? Or should we change and challenge this mindset?

Why not integrate art within the building’s masterplan from the very beginning of a project? Let the artists inspire the architects, and vice versa. Making the overall development more unique, both internal and external in the buildings.

We help reaching a much higher value of the property for the developer, and a more unique life for the future users of the building and the surroundings, without overruling the overall architectural scope. At the same time the property will have a much better “afterlife”.

A question we get a lot is “real estate business is very competitive, and the banks always ask for a higher and higher return on investment, so how is it possible to finance the additional cost of art into the project?”. There are many answers to that questions, but overall, our job is to make sure that the overall value of the project/property including the investment for the art is cost neutral within 1-5 years, depending on the different quality level the owner go with.

All images are courtesy of STS/Tomas Saraceno, BIG architects, and Praksis architects.