Big-box Imitating Art

The use of public art fees to mitigate the look of big-box buildings is one solution being used in North Hollywood, CA.

July 14, 2003, 11am PDT | Connie Chung

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

Published on Friday, July 11, 2003 in The Los Angeles Times