Building design factor: Can you Instagram it?
Design meetings regularly include talk of ‘Instagrammable’ features; Generates buzz, but ‘a bit narcissistic’?
People who design buildings in the Charlotte area say they are increasingly being asked to consider adding features that make the structures more desirable for people to post on Instagram.
The push seems to come from building owners and marketers who believe that people who post frequent pictures of themselves on social media can create buzz and generate free publicity. That can be particularly helpful for restaurants and other retail establishments that depend on foot traffic.
But it also has the potential to rub architects the wrong way, because it can carry the implication that they should design a gimmicky feature and that the overall structure doesn’t matter as much.
“I have been in many meetings where people talk about that Instagrammable spot on your project — as if you can build a mediocre piece of architecture, but if there’s one special place that people can gather around and take their selfies, then you are good to go,” says David Furman, one of Charlotte’s best-known architects, whose credits include 1616 Center in South End and the TradeMark building on West Trade Street. “As an architect, I think we should strive to create great environments and great designs and great public places, just because that’s what makes a great community — not because I need to document every millisecond of my life.”
‘Instagram spot’: Furman runs most of his own projects, so he rarely has to meet with people pushing for Instagram-friendly features. But he hears people describe their designs and say, “Yeah, this is what we’re doing, and over here will be this, because it’s where the Instagram spot is.”
He says he’s “one of those old guys” who doesn’t care to document his life for public consumption — a practice he finds “a bit narcissistic.”
Creating a location that’s sure to get likes on Instagram can range from the structural design of a building to how its interior is decorated to commissioning a mural or stringing some lights on a patio. Murals seem especially popular: They are popping up all over South End, NoDa, Plaza-Midwood and other neighborhoods close to uptown, and Charlotte is experiencing “an explosion in commissioned and uncommissioned exterior and interior wall art,” according to Charlotte Is Creative, which runs programs encouraging creativity. It estimates the number of Charlotte murals to be in the hundreds.
Charles Thrift, a partner with Thrift Commercial Real Estate Services, says building owners can’t just slap murals on anything — they have to fit with the project. He says retail projects with an Instagrammable element attract more visitors and attention.
The desire for Instagrammability could be positive if it focuses attention on better building design, says Adam Williams, a partner with Legacy Real Estate Advisors.
“It’s putting a premium on thoughtful, well-themed design, which should have never gone away,” he says. His advice: “Hire somebody talented. Have them design something cool. It’s not new.”
This article originally appeared in the Jan. 17, 2020, edition of The Charlotte Ledger newsletter.
