You’ve probably heard about the seemingly non-stop “amenities war” among developers of luxury residential and high-end office buildings in Boston.
Their arsenals include penthouse suites, 24/7 concierge services, in-building caterers, dog spas, health clubs, valet parking and whatever creature comforts it takes to get people to buy or lease space in buildings.
Now there’s a new differentiator on the front lines in the amenities war: fine art.
Developers and art consultants report that the purchase or lease of art for commercial properties has never been stronger in Boston, as the city continues to undergo an unprecedented building boom in its downtown area.
Paintings, sculptures, photographs, mosaics, maps, rare prints and multimedia art of all varieties are being deployed in lobbies, meeting rooms, libraries and hallways. Nowhere will it be more evident than at the One Dalton project in Boston, via developer Carpenter and Co.’s commissioning of a “dream team” of art consultants, designers and architects. It’s another element designed to “build the best building in Boston in the past 100 years,” CEO Richard Friedman said.
Friedman hired famed architect Henry Cobb, in collaboration with Gary Johnson of Cambridge Seven, to design the 61-story, 742-foot tall One Dalton, the future home of the new Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences.
Friedman, whose company has previously developed the Charles Hotel in Cambridge and Liberty Hotel in Boston, selected Kate Chertavian, the art curator and advisor to the late David Bowie, as art consultant at One Dalton.
Chertavian is lining up notable artists to contribute to One Dalton’s splendor. Duke Riley is a multimedia artist known for his interest in historical events and their relevance to the present day. Tacita Dean specializes in video, wall decor and printing. Yinka Shonibare handles three-dimensional pieces and photos.
A native Briton who moved to the U.S. in 2000, Chertavian, owner of Kate Chertavian Fine Art in Boston, said the art at One Dalton will have a local feel, including having a contemporary map of Boston. At the same time, it will also be “international and sophisticated,” reflecting Boston’s blossoming into a more cosmopolitan city in recent decades.
“We’re trying to build a story for the building,” said Chertavian, known for her work for both private and institutional art collectors. “It’s going to put One Dalton in a different category.”
‘Art Is Integral’ to Latest Developments
Other Boston art consultants may be impressed, but they’re certainly not intimidated, by One Dalton’s escalation of their rivalry.
Jason Gracilieri, founder and chief executive at TurningArt in Boston, said the “stakes keep rising” when it comes to art amenities at high-profile city properties. “We’ve definitely seen an uptick” in corporate interest in finer art, said Gracilieri, whose firm has worked on art projects at 88 Black Falcon in Boston, One Alewife Center in Cambridge and other properties.
TurningArt provides pieces at multiple offices, hotels and residential buildings around the country and works with brokerages including JLL and CBRE. Gracilieri noted TurningArt specializes in so-called “lease and rotation” of art, refreshing artwork at regular intervals in buildings to keep spaces “exciting and engaging.”
Name the type of art you want – modern sculptures, wall graphics, mosaics, limited-edition prints, paintings and even furniture – and TurningArt will provide it as “full-service artwork” consultant, he said.
Boston Art Inc.’s founder and President John Kirby has curated a number of well-known development projects, including the Beverly, Kensington, One Canal and Watermark Seaport.
The surge in interest of art at local commercial buildings is ultimately a reflection of Boston’s transformation into a more internationally focused city, he said.
“It’s just getting started,” Kirby said of demand for finer art. “Nothing is going to stop it. Art is integral today to all developments.”
The trend toward high-end development and artistic adornments isn’t all that new to Boston, Friedman said, noting that the Back Bay, built in the 19th century, was a conscious attempt by the city’s elite to elevate Boston’s – as well as their own – status in the world.
“In a way, we’re going back to what we used to do,” he said of the current high-end building and amenities boom.
But it’s also personal to Friedman.
“I feel pride of development,” he said. “You want to do quality work. I’m always pushing people to make things better. I do believe that to make money you can’t cut corners. It’s about quality.”
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