What are Innovation Districts?
Innovation Districts are concentrated geographic areas that cluster startups, businesses and key anchor landmarks. They have recently emerged as engines of economic growth. Furthermore, they foster collaboration through strategic colocation.
A Global and Local Movement
In contrast to isolated suburban office parks, Innovation Districts reflect a growing desire for living, breathing, connected working communities. They represent a return to a layered sense of cityness. This sense of place had been lost through the gradual shift to suburban sprawl during the 20th century.
Over the past decade, Innovation Districts have seen remarkable success globally. Notable examples include the Milan Innovation District (MIND) in Italy, 22@ in Barcelona, and the Knowledge Quarter in London. Meanwhile, closer to home, the New South Wales Government has established innovation hubs in Westmead, Liverpool, Macquarie Park, the New South Wales Central Coast, and inner city Sydney.
At Art Pharmacy, we have long championed the transformative power of public art as a vital placemaking tool. The Committee for Sydney’s recent paper on Innovation Districts has sparked new conversations. As a result, there is no better time to explore the pivotal role that public art can play.
Why Is Public Art Important For Innovation Districts?
Art Pharmacy believes a robust public art program can play a strategic role in three key aspects of building a thriving Innovation District. These are identity formation, creating welcoming spaces, and attracting traffic.
It is also useful to think about innovatiShawcross describes the work as a symbolisation of the precarious nature of knowledge. In this way, the sculpture shows how public art can reinforce the identity of a place. It serves as a landmark that inspires creativity and intellectual pursuit.ng during the broader process of a public art project. This can involve developing a detailed art strategy, art activations and digital art. Additionally, it can create opportunities to generate and evaluate tangible social impact.
Identity Forming
Innovation Districts often involve revitalising an existing area or building an entirely new district. In the context of renewal, public art can reflect and reinforce the local identity of an area. Furthermore, it encourages a sense of cohesion and community. In a new area, public art can establish identity anew.
In New South Wales, Innovation Districts cater to a multitude of industries ranging from deeptech to health. Public art can celebrate the diversity of the area. At the same time, it provides a sense of unity through shared values and identities.
Take Conrad Shawcross’s Paradigm, a 14-metre tall sculpture at the Francis Crick Institute in London. The sculpture is made of weathering steel and composed of increasing tetrahedral blocks. It embodies the tension and balance of scientific progress that defines the Institute.
A Landmark for Creativity
Shawcross describes the work as a symbolisation of the precarious nature of knowledge. In this way, the sculpture shows how public art can reinforce the identity of a place. It serves as a landmark that inspires creativity and intellectual pursuit.
Creating Welcoming Spaces
Public Art can also serve to create a sense of cohesion and humanity within new environments.
Andrea Conte’s ‘Islands’ and ‘The Unknown’ are two large-scale floor paintings in the Milan Innovation District (MIND). Spanning approximately 1700 square meters, these artworks draw inspiration from technology, scientific research, and nature. ‘Islands’ focuses on global health and environmental themes like the heat island effect and solar reflection, while ‘The Unknown’ pays homage to the mysteries of the abyss and the infinite connections in research and development. By transforming the expanse of sterile open spaces into visually stimulating environments, the paintings encourage activity and interaction between inhabitants, fostering community as opposed to creating public spaces that are only transitory in nature.
Art Pharmacy’s recent project at Lismore Base Hospital is also a good example of the way in which public art shapes the social identity of a place and brings warmth and vibrance to conventionally sterile spaces. Art Pharmacy conducted extensive community research and curated nine local artists into the collection. With the intention of creating an ‘Art Trail’ that flowed through the structure of the hospital, the use of strategically placed artworks throughout the hospital floors served to align the environment with the typology of the local, familiar, and welcoming, to introduce an element of joy into a space so often associated with stress and anxiety, while inspiring passersby to calmness and introspection.
Attracting Traffic
Finally, public art programs can also serve to draw visitors and activity into Innovation Districts. For example, kinetic installation, ‘The Seed’ by Es Devlin, situated in the Jubail Mangrove Park in Dubai, originated as a celebration of economic growth in Dubai but became a destination piece in its own right. By including a consistently renewing art program, Innovation Hubs can use public art to increase traffic and public visibility of the precinct.
Conclusion
As Daniel Hunter, CEO of Business NSW, aptly puts,
“Innovation districts are not just hubs of creativity and technology; they are the bedrock of our future economy. By fostering an environment where entrepreneurs and businesses can thrive, these districts contribute significantly to economic diversification and job creation.”
The integration of public art is vital to the success of this mission. Not only do public art programs reinforce emergent identities in these Innovation Districts but also activate public spaces, enhance community engagement, and attract traffic. As Innovation Districts continue to develop both globally and locally, stakeholders must keep public art at the forefront as they create vibrant, exciting, and inclusive Innovation Districts.
Article by Edmond Lau.