The use of public art fees to mitigate the look of big-box buildings is one solution being used in North Hollywood, CA.
North Hollywood is using public art fees, in addition to $48,000 provided by the developer, to mitigate the big-box look of a new warehouse. The solution is a 45-foot replica of a cardboard packing box, with a teddy bear, umbrella and other molded-fiberglass items spilling from the top, and carries "fragile" and "handle with care" labels. "The decoration was commissioned after some in the surrounding neighborhood worried that the four-story, 134,000-square-foot building at 5310 Vineland Ave. would look bulky and plain without some sort of embellishment...."
Thanks to Connie Chung
FULL STORY: Valley big-box warehouse gets a big-box wrap

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