Building Innovation

Architecture can provide insights for innovation. Obstacles can be turned into advantages, as McDonald's did when they built a restaurant around a 150-foot-long section of a Roman road. Long-term perspectives are necessary for successful projects, as the Manhattan Loft Gardens building in London demonstrated when it disrupted a view of St. Paul's Cathedral. Reusing existing structures and designs can honor the history of a site, as the Seine Musicale venue did by including references to its former automobile factory location. Rejuvenating old buildings like Theaster Gates's Stony Island Arts Bank in Chicago creates community spaces and showcases collections that would otherwise go unseen. Finally, considering the exact opposite solution can lead to unexpected and innovative outcomes, as with Bryant Park in New York City, which became a key public space only after its original design was reversed.