Designing a Large-Scale Public Art Installation at CityCenterDC

It’s a public space layered with luxury brands, permanent architecture, daily foot traffic and a visual rhythm that already exists. Designing a public art installation here meant responding to the environment—not competing with it.

This installation was created as a temporary display within a permanent commercial space, designed to activate the corridor while feeling intentional and cohesive with its surroundings.

Public Art in Active Retail Environments

Public art installations in retail spaces have a specific challenge: they need to draw people in without overwhelming the architecture or the brands that live there.

At CityCenterDC, the installation had to:

• Read clearly from a distance

• Hold interest up close

• Work within an existing luxury retail context

• Feel integrated rather than imposed

Public-facing installations like this are as much about restraint as they are about impact

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Scale, Repetition and Movement

The installation spans the length of the corridor, creating a repeated overhead pattern that guides movement through the space. Rather than a single focal point, the design relies on rhythm and

density—allowing the experience to unfold as people walk beneath it.

Each element was designed to move subtly with air and light, creating a sense of motion without mechanical components. As daylight shifts throughout the day, the installation changes with it.

This approach is especially important in public art displays where the audience is constantly in motion.

Color as a Design System

At first glance, the installation appears to use just a few tones. In reality, it includes 13 custom colors, developed to create depth and variation while maintaining cohesion.

The palette was inspired by the colors of fall leaves and the way they spiral downward—warm reds, oranges and transitional hues layered intentionally so no single color dominates the space.

Color in public installations isn’t just aesthetic—it’s a tool for balance, visibility and longevity in high-traffic environments.

Materiality and Craft

Every ribbon in the installation was hand-painted and hand-curled, resulting in approximately 8,000 individual elements.

While the final installation reads as light and effortless, the process behind it was anything but. Craft and repetition play a significant role in large-scale displays—especially when the goal is consistency across thousands of components.

In total, the installation required over 1,600 hours of work, spanning design development, preparation and on-site installation.

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Temporary Installation, Long-Term Impact

Although the installation was temporary, it was designed with permanence in mind.

Public art installations in commercial spaces need to:

• Hold up visually over time

• Photograph well without being designed solely for social media

• Feel appropriate within the architecture they occupy

This project was designed to live comfortably within CityCenterDC—enhancing the space rather than redefining it.

Designing Public Art for Commercial Spaces

Public art installations for retail and mixed-use developments require a specific approach. Beyond visual impact, they demand an understanding of:

• Scale and sightlines

• Existing architectural language

• Brand adjacency

• Foot traffic patterns

• Installation logistics in active public spaces

CityCenterDC is a reminder that successful public art doesn’t announce itself loudly. It earns attention through intention, repetition and thoughtful execution.

About the Studio

The Floral Guru designs large-scale public art installations, retail displays and environmental installations for commercial spaces, brands and hospitality environments.

Our work focuses on creating spatial experiences that balance visual impact with thoughtful execution—whether a project is designed to live on for years or exist for a single moment. 

Have a project in mind? Contact us.