Condo Design: Lobby Appeal

When it comes to buying a house, we often hear about the importance of “curb appeal” i.e. first impression. When it comes to buying a condo, it’s all about “lobby appeal.”  It often surprises me how little attention some condo developers and designers give to the lobby of a multi-million dollar building.

Disclosure: While I have not done an extensive survey of condo lobbies in Calgary, I can say there are very few that strike me a really memorable.  What would it take to add some good art, with good lighting and a couple of designer chairs?
However, recently I have encountered three relatively new condos where the developer and designer recognized the importance of the lobby as a key element of the design of the condo – Mark on 10th, Pixel and Ven.

Coupland Lobby

Douglas Coupland’s artwork makes a visual statement that most visitors will have to think about.

Kudos to Qualex-Landmark for commissioning a painting by world-renowned Canadian artist Douglas Coupland for the lobby of their latest Beltline condo, Mark on 10th. I was a bit shocked when I first heard Qualex-Landmark was commissioning an artist of Coupland’s stature to create an artwork for a private lobby space of the condo. Silly me, I thought it would be outside where everyone could enjoy it.

Parham Mahboubi, Vice-President of Planning and Marketing informed me that given Mark on 10th location the busy corner of 10th Ave and 8th St SW in the middle of Calgary’s fledgling Design District, the company felt it was important to do something artistic to add to the character of the community.  However, given it is a painting and not a sculpture the piece had to be inside.  Yes, everyone can peek-in and have a look.

The piece titled “Interpretation of Calgary, Alberta in the 21st Century” consists of four rows each with five cheerful, colourful, candy-like circles that look a modern version of the “house” in curling or perhaps archery targets.  Given the diversity of colours, it is not hard to imagine the piece represents the diversity of people who call Calgary home. Did you know….Calgary is the third most diverse city in Canada?
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Written by: the Everyday Tourist
Richard and Brenda White
Date: September, 2016

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