- Project
Private Finance Company
Art Curation Project / Asset Managament Company / London EC3M
An open brief
We were commissioned to curate and deliver a collection of large-scale artworks for the new headquarters of a London-based asset management company, situated within the
iconic 20 Fenchurch Street building, also known as the Walkie Talkie.
With no predetermined creative direction for the project, from artwork style and subject matter through to themes, mediums and materials, the project presented a completely open brief. Working closely with the interior designers, we began by understanding the design scheme, spatial characteristics and intended atmosphere of the new office, alongside the client’s existing brand and visual identity.
The artwork needed to complement the wider interior while bringing life and visual interest to a number of key areas. These included the reception, a long client-facing corridor with limited natural light, and an extensive wall running through the open employee workspace.
From the outset, these different environments presented an opportunity to develop two contrasting but connected creative themes.
City and nature
As part of our creative process, we explored the client’s brand, marketing and existing use of imagery to identify themes that could inform the artwork.
We developed and presented a number of initial concepts, ranging from painted artworks through to contemporary photography. Through discussions with the client, there was a clear preference towards photography, which became the foundation for the wider collection.
For the front-of-house spaces, where the artwork would primarily be experienced by
clients, visitors and business partners, we developed a photographic theme centred
around London, architecture and the city. Tall structures, strong linear forms and
expansive cityscapes were selected to convey a sense of strength, resilience and
confidence, while creating a direct connection to the client’s location in the heart of
London’s financial district.
For the employee areas, we deliberately introduced a contrasting theme based around nature and landscape photography. The intention was to bring a sense of calm, colour and energy into the working environment, providing a visual escape from the surrounding urban landscape.
As the collection developed, we selected natural imagery featuring rich green tones, subtly referencing the client’s existing brand colours and creating a connection between the artwork and the company’s wider visual identity.
Curation and Scale
Following the development of the two themes, we worked through a number of
photographic selections with the client, gradually refining the imagery, compositions and colour palettes to establish the final collection.
The selected works brought together a curated selection of photographs from a number of established and award-winning architectural and landscape photographers, including Kevin Krautgartner, Costas Kariolis, and Stefan Hefele.
Scale was an important consideration throughout the project. Rather than using a larger number of smaller decorative pieces, we selected photographs that could be produced at substantial sizes, creating greater visual impact and making use of the long sight lines throughout the office.
Within the client facing corridor, the large scale architectural imagery helped introduce depth and energy into an area with limited natural light. Across the open workspace, expansive landscape photography transformed the long wall into a series of immersive views of the natural environment.
Working closely with the photographers and our production partners, we explored how the final works should be produced and presented to best complement the contemporary office interior.
The photographs were produced at large scale and mounted directly onto Dibond. We opted for a frameless finish, creating a clean and minimal presentation while allowing the imagery to extend visually to the edges of each piece. Removing the visual boundary of a traditional frame also helped enhance the expansive quality of the cityscapes and landscapes, creating a greater sense of depth and immersion within the space.
The final installation consisted of 13 large scale photographic artworks positioned
throughout the new headquarters. Through the use of two distinct photographic themes, the finished collection responds to the different functions of the workplace. Architectural imagery brings structure, confidence and a strong sense of location to the client facing areas, while nature and landscape photography introduces colour, calm and energy into the employee workspace.
What began as a completely open brief developed into a cohesive collection shaped
around the client’s brand, location, interior environment and the people experiencing the space. Within the client facing corridor, the large scale architectural imagery helped introduce depth and energy into an area with limited natural light. Across the open workspace, expansive landscape photography transformed the long wall into a series of immersive views of the natural environment.
