Visual Interest

In a recession that effects architects to no end, there' s been some unique discussion as to new ways to interject our passions for creativity into a very sterile business model. We've tried to come up with ways of giving clients incentive to build by incorporating extra "value" into our ideas. This is not necessarily a new idea. In fact, both architects and developers have been trying to find ways to add new value and interest to all sorts of property types. One thing you will find in most major cities these days is a plethora of advertisements in all sorts of locations. Some designed, some added on after the fact. Here are some traditional, and maybe non-traditional examples I've come across lately:

As you can see, there's lots of variation to how advertising not only visually effects a urban (or rural) landscape, but also how it adds value to a piece of land or property. Some of these might be a little extreme, but consider the relationships between those who live in the buildings, those who own the buildings and those who want to advertise. Balancing these three parties' interests can lead to not only increased property value, but the possibility of the physical advertisement providing an increased comfort level for the occupants (such as shading by a large billboard during long, summer afternoons, decreasing air conditioning costs) The key in all this is discovering where there is opportunity for increased revenue.

Another example can be found in baseball stadiums with the advertising most of us probably just assume is necessary for keeping them afloat. This financial relationship is true, but I found it cool to take a look at the evolution of the advertising and, more generally, how visual icons have adapted to specific scenarios.

Most of you probably know Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox. If you take a look at the plan of the stadium, it's odd shape is a direct result of its land constraints, with three large boulevards bordering the structure (Here's a google map image of the park.)

At the top of the image, or in left field, you have the "Big Green Monster," a strange building anomaly which has gone from its origins to protect the buildings adjacent to the park from getting pummeled by baseballs to something of a legend in the sport. However, look at the advertising potential in this photograph, not only physically applied to it, but just in the view:

I count 6, but that doesn't include the profit driven seating ON the wall. This all adds up to taking what is essentially a wall, and turning it, and the airspace around it, into a profitable enterprise benefiting the team, the advertisers and the fans in those seats (not to mention continuing to protect the buildings behind, and sustaining their high property values.)

Flash forward to the new Target Field in downtown Minneapolis (a beautiful stadium I might add). One of the best features is the framing of the skyline in the background. While I am still getting to know which buildings are which, I believe its safe to say the view inside the stadium will no doubt start to have its own value as a Minneapolis Landmark.

But what if we saw a change in the next twenty years to that of the Green Monster? No doubt that the view could have its own advertising potential. With Target (and other minneapolis corporations) having interest in putting its logo in such a famous view, could the view inside the stadium change to something like this (a la Blade Runner?)

I'm guessing a fight over the airspace (and all the free advertising) might get ugly. But let's back up for a sec before we get carried away.

The reason I bring this up is in connection to our nearly completed project of the Whiting Clinic off of 394. This project has continued to evolve (as most projects do) over the course of design and construction. However, the unique part of this project has been the branding of the building, the business and the connection they they share. In a location where you have a high volume of traffic passing by (and potentially hundreds of clients a day), it was important to consider the visual impact of the building and how it would relate to the message the client wanted to convey about his business.

The idea of a really cool visual element became a central part of the design, that later ended up as a band of continually changing lighting embedded in an aluminum paneling system wrapped around the building (try to say it three times fast!). While it wouldn't detract from the thought and execution of the necessary advertising signage, its presence was intended to resonate with the progressive and modern nature of the marketed demographic. In other words, Lasik surgery geared toward cool, modern, progressive individuals. This, hopefully, would be something unique and profitable about a building that, before our renovations, wasn't doing all too much for the eye.

Proposed Whiting Clinic Design

The point of the discussing these examples of visuals applied to existing buildings is to show the relationship between the design and business aspects of architecture. While some of these places are purely adaptations of existing structures, it should be clear that Advertising, branding, marketing...these happen to be only some of the factors that can begin to drive design. In the long run, it may be that for architects to be truly profitable, more emphasis in design should be placed into how new buildings begin to reflect the business relationships shared by designers, developers, and clients, and hopefully preparing for changes that may occur down the road. After all, achieving a succinct and clear design would hopefully improve the longevity and usefulness of all aspects of a property.