HOK’s Post

What makes art powerful? Its ability to transform not just spaces, but the way we experience them. ✨ We’re thrilled to share the unveiling of our new 1250-metre art trail project in Stratford in collaboration with Populo Living and Newham Council. Featuring two hand-painted 34-metre murals, 25 square metres of floor art, five interactive play pieces, colour-blocked planters and walls, AND over 1,300 boot prints! A vibrant, community-driven masterpiece that has redefined how we think about public art. This project isn’t just about what you see; it’s about what you feel and how you engage. From stunning walls to playful floor art, every detail was designed to spark curiosity and connection. One of the most exciting elements is the interactive floor art, with boot prints that guide you through the journey of the murals. Each step connects the dots between individual artworks, creating a cohesive story that invites participation and exploration. Seeing people of all ages engage with the pieces was an unforgettable highlight. It brought smiles, conversations, and a shared sense of pride, reminding us of art’s capacity to unite and uplift. ✨ This project has reinforced something we’ve learned time and again: public art thrives when it’s created with and for the community. The interactive features added a layer of engagement that made this mural uniquely exciting and deeply personal for those involved. What do you think makes a public art project memorable? We’d love to hear your thoughts! #CommunityArt #InteractiveDesign #Populo #ArtWithImpact #PublicArt #CoCreativeConnection #CommunityMural

What makes art powerful? Its ability to transform not just spaces, but the way we experience them. ✨ We’re thrilled to share the unveiling of our new 1250-metre art trail project in Stratford in collaboration with Populo Living and Newham London. Featuring two hand-painted 34-metre murals, 25 square metres of floor art, five interactive play pieces, colour-blocked planters and walls, AND over 1,300 boot prints! A vibrant, community-driven masterpiece that has redefined how we think about public art. This project isn’t just about what you see; it’s about what you feel and how you engage. From stunning walls to playful floor art, every detail was designed to spark curiosity and connection. One of the most exciting elements is the interactive floor art, with boot prints that guide you through the journey of the murals. Each step connects the dots between individual artworks, creating a cohesive story that invites participation and exploration. Seeing people of all ages engage with the pieces was an unforgettable highlight. It brought smiles, conversations, and a shared sense of pride, reminding us of art’s capacity to unite and uplift. ✨ This project has reinforced something we’ve learned time and again: public art thrives when it’s created with and for the community. The interactive features added a layer of engagement that made this mural uniquely exciting and deeply personal for those involved. What do you think makes a public art project memorable? We’d love to hear your thoughts! #CommunityArt #InteractiveDesign #Populo #ArtWithImpact #PublicArt #CoCreativeConnection #CommunityMural

Ever wonder if buildings dream in patterns? #architecture #urbanarchitecture #architecturephotography #windows #building #buildings #glass #Paris #ladefense #ladefenseparis #france #patterns #photography

🌨️❄️ WINTER IS COMING ❄️🌨️ Every winter, the fresh snow unveils the true nature of our streets and roads—over-designed for cars, making them faster and more dangerous. It also reveals the immense potential to reclaim space for people and public life. Let's embrace the power of snow to reshape our urban landscapes! ❄️🏙️ 🚸 Have you heard of 'sneckdowns'? It's a fascinating urban design concept where planners leverage snowfall to observe how roads are used by cars and identify unused spaces that can be repurposed for pedestrians. This principle can be applied to public spaces, helping us understand how citizens navigate and interact with their environment. 👇 Check out this fantastic animation and example of a sneckdown created by Oto Ozols! Let's harness the power of snow to drive positive change in our streets, public spaces, and workplaces. ❄️💼

An interesting concept to fine-tune infrastructure vs space actually allocated to them. Add the term "sneckdowns" to your vocabulary.

This is a fascinating insight and reinforces my belief about traffic management in urban areas: fewer cars, more people! A shift toward more pedestrian-friendly spaces can significantly improve both mobility and quality of life in cities. #UrbanMobility #SustainableCities #PedestrianFriendly #TrafficManagement #SmartCity #UrbanPlanning #FutureOfCities #MobilitySolutions #QualityOfLife #PublicSpace #GreenUrbanism #Walkability #CityDesign #SustainableTransport #UrbanTransformation

While this concept may seem difficult to implement in certain parts of the USA, there’s a growing opportunity across communities to create safer, more pedestrian-focused roadways. In cities like Paris, France, the principles behind cycling infrastructure and school streets have been successfully adopted, with benefits for children and families—including increased outdoor exercise, more exposure to nature, and reduced air pollution. These changes contribute to healthier, more sustainable urban environments. Reimagining our streets as places for people, not just cars, can foster positive change, making cities safer and more livable for everyone. By embracing urban design strategies like this, we can build a healthier, more connected future. #UrbanDesign #UrbanTransformation #PublicService #Cycling #Walking #SchoolStreets #Sneckdowns #Pedestrians

A more pedestrian and cycle friendly vision for roadways and traffic convergence.

Night Render Showdown: Blue vs Yellow? You Decide! Visualisations by VA-ARTS LLC Architecture by APA Wojciechowski Sp. z o.o. Night renders exude a unique charm, but what truly elevates them? We're obsessed with the color magic that happens when blue and yellow come together: 💙Calming Blue: Think tranquil night skies and calming shadows. 💛Warm Yellow: Picture the inviting glow of windows and streetlamps. The Question is... Which color would you use as the dominant force in your night render? 🔵Option 1: Night Sky Majesty - Immerse viewers in the deep blue, with pops of yellow for a touch of warmth. ✨ 🟡Option 2: City Lights Symphony - Bathe the scene in warm yellow, letting the blue represent the cool night air. ️ Comment below and tell us your pick! We'd love to hear your reasoning and see any night render projects you're working

𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭? I've started writing a book this week for fellow architectural photographers, on simple ways to easily use natural lighting in your work, with a focus on the architecture of Edinburgh, and on Monday I began with a trip into town to recce some buildings. I found inspiration in the grand Georgian buildings of Edinburgh's New Town. The New Town plans were set out in the 18th century as part of a pioneering architectural project.  A young architect of the day, James Craig, won the Town Council's design competition to create the town plan. The architect Robert Adam designed the exterior architecture (in accordance with James Craig's plan) of buildings in Charlotte Square (named after Queen Charlotte - wife of King George III). The two houses at the end of this row were built in 1790, of which no. 2 Charlotte Square is seen here. The owners of these buildings were primarily the landed gentry, solicitors and lawyers who were mainly the elite of Edinburgh society at this time.  You can see at the front of each house there's a large step, which is where the owners would alight from their horse-drawn carriages. Today's inhabitants are an equally illustrious crew - no. 6 Charlotte Square being the official residence of the First Minister of Scotland.  (I wonder if these days the same step is used for the ministerial 4x4s...hmm... 🤔) OK, history lesson over - how was it shot? No flash used, as it was a nice bright day! 😊 However there are some darker shadows; so to even these out, I shot several exposures on the day with the camera perched on the tripod on the opposite side of the street. These were then edited together afterwards to produce this shot. The sky was another story... typical grey, even when the sun was out - that's Scotland for you! 😛 And as ever, when the blue sky finally appeared, so did the white vans / tourist buses / people walking along the street.  So... a nice blue Sky Replacement was delicately applied in Photoshop in the edit.  Now the question is... is this a sensible approach, or do you view this as a sacrilegious application of AI??? Feel free to pop your answers in comments below! 🙂 #historicalarchitecture #historicalbuildings