Why Art Is Becoming So Important in Shopping Center Design

Once again, the retail market is evolving in response to new consumer demands. Like the ecommerce revolution, the pandemic has intensified demand experiential retail. Consumers are looking for an integrated, community-forward spaces, and retail designers are developing new design strategy to create that experience.

“For many communities, shopping centers serve as the place to socialize and meet up with other locals for shopping, dining, and entertainment. To help make these centers even more integrated with the community, it is important to include design elements that resonate with its members,” Greg Lyon, chairman and principal of Nadel Architects, tells GlobeSt.com. “Further, it is key that they also attract outside visitors to want to feel that they are gaining an experience unique to the community—instead of just another generic shopping center.”

Art has become one of the top tools that designers are using to create this experience. “These design elements can include artwork such as murals by local artists,” says Lyon. “By incorporating authentic design, it can help consumers feel more comfortable in the space and establish a meaningful connection that will entice them to return.”

Nadel recently integrated artwork and thoughtful design at Freedom Plaza, a neighborhood center in Watts, California. “We established this placemaking through building architecture, artwork, and other amenities that reflected the culture of the urban area,” says Lyon.

Following a year of social distancing, retail design is striving to create inviting spaces that can welcome people again and again. “It is increasingly important to make consumers feel like they are receiving a one-of-a-kind experience in a space that conveys a narrative and encourages human connection,” says Lyon. “Having experiential elements that set a destination apart from others and establishes an emotional connection are key to capturing the attention of consumers.”

Lyon also stresses the importance of creating multi-use spaces where people can shop as well as dine and socialize. These are spaces where consumers will return.

Lyon is working on a sportsman’s club in Colorado with a similar goal. “[The property] that will provide visitors with a one-of-a-kind experience offering 15 shooting lanes, a virtual shooting range, private gunsmith, a full-service lounge featuring a full bar and kitchen, a walk-up coffee bar, and over 3,000 square feet of retail,” says Lyon.” The goal is for visitors will enjoy an immersive and visually compelling experience that will entice them to return in the future. In an increasingly competitive marketplace, it is more important than ever to think about what differentiates a brand from the competition.”