dialogue

Talking about… North America: shades of difference Experiencing a Latin America: raising expectations World of Leisure, Asia + Australia: updating tradition 26. One City at a Time Middle East + Europe: future positive A Gensler publication dialogue World of Leisure 26 Issue 12 2 Leisure speaks in the Features 2 North America language of its city A coast-to-coast report on leisure. the west: Realm of the Senses The outdoors is a theme up and down the and culture, with West Coast, with a lifestyle to match. p. 4 the center: Cities of the Plain Reviving and thriving, the heartland is NORTH AMERICA a spirit that brings it embracing urban mixed use. p. 6 LATIN the east: Leisure Fast and Slow A minute or Southern meander? alive, authentically On the East Coast, each has its place. p. 8 AMERICA 12 Latin America A successful World Cup speaks to the of its place. region’s fast-rising expectations. 18 Asia + Australia 18 Leisure’s new powerhouse, encouraging a personal style amid family and society.

24 The Middle East + Europe The pull of the future and the presence of the past spur invention and reinvention.

Departments 30 Brand Engagement Research Brand categories have outsized impact on customer engagement, our survey shows.

32 News + Views Motorola Mobility HQ, Hackney House @SXSW, and the Hancock Center’s Tilt.

ON THE COVER: The Axis Theater at Planet Hollywood, Las Vegas. There’s EVEN more clockwise, from top left: online at Charming Charlie, Houston; dialogue.gensler.com/v/26 Havaianas, São Paulo; The Avenues, Kuwait City; ITC’s Colombo One Hotel, Sri Lanka. 24 The FIGat7th retail center, a see-and-be-seen gathering place in the heart of down- town . NORTH AMERICA It’s still a huge market for leisure— entertainment, retail, hospitality, and mixed use. But the form leisure takes reflects local and regional differences, even as it takes cues from everywhere else. North American cities are open and diverse, and yet protective of their traditions. Leisure responds by both adapting to and influencing everything it touches. We spoke with Gensler designers from coast to coast to understand how leisure’s themes and trends play out. Here’s a report on what they told us.

Reported By Mimi Zeiger, Aryn Beitz, and Amanda Kolson Hurley

3 above: Loews Hotel in north america Hollywood, CA; below: The 7,000-seat Axis Theater at Planet Hollywood in T he West: Las Vegas. Realm of the Senses

“Our Pacific sky is a very different blue,” says Sport Chalet that’s half normal size. Bike focus, they’re putting in stages now for live Kap Malik, thinking of Gensler-designed fanatics, scuba divers, and other sports broadcasts. With urbanity comes the need hotels near the ocean. “They catch the communities come for the classes, events, for an authentic local spin, says Irwin Miller. view whether the shore is across the road and information, not just to look at the “Venice, North Hollywood, West LA— or in the distance.” A balmy climate in bikes and scuba gear. they’re not the same, yet they share an Southern means that plazas and easy-living vibe that others emulate.” Raw roof decks are big revenue generators: Urbanity is a theme. “Retail centers are finishes, natural materials, upbeat colors, indoors flows to outdoors to tie the larger about lifestyle,” says Annmarie Brintnall. and green walls are widespread leisure setting to the experience. A similar idea “By connecting work, life, and play, they motifs, reflecting an LA influence. is at work at FIGat7th, a see-and-be-seen combine what you like to do with what urban enclave in . you like to buy.” The outdoor settings are No woodsy style for Vancouver, BC: “It’s The updated retail center has a new Zara choreographed with events. “It’s not just a global destination, especially from Asia,” flagship store. There’s also an urban-format yoga classes. With LA’s entertainment says Duncan Paterson. “The density, uses, quick take: the west and transit connectivity reflect Hong Kong more than the West Coast.” Older single- The West is back on form, with use malls like Oakridge Centre are being substantial new investment recast as urban connectors, mixing office in leisure in the coastal cities. and housing towers with indoor/outdoor shopping, dining, and entertainment. The benign climate makes the outdoors Across the border in Seattle, the natural a constant feature setting prompts an active lifestyle. “If you A maker culture that fuels a global tourist appeal. don’t ride your bike to work, people look spurs artisan inven- tiveness. Cuisine at you askew,” laughs Karen Thomas. matters, from cart “Undergrounding a freeway is ramping up to Michelin 3 stars. the waterfront’s leisure value, but com- bining work, play, and the outdoors is a Hudson Grace store, Marin Country Mart, Larkspur, CA.

4 dialogue 26 I Talking About Leisure & Lifestyle 5 Northwest theme.” Gensler is supporting channel on Treasure Island. Fog makes for a market, food stalls, and a cooking school. efforts by the Downtown Seattle Associa- varied climate. While every restaurant pro- Tech companies in the city have codevel- tion to activate the city’s street experience duces tables and chairs when the weather oped food halls in their buildings that by making room for what Thomas calls turns Mediterranean, that’s a short season. double as informal, out-of-office meeting micro-leisure. “Just a few feet of extra space places. “Long tables are the norm for is enough to add outdoor tables to a res- The region is a culinary epicenter, says casual dining,” Yun explains. “The locals taurant or hotel lobby, or open a store to Barry Bourbon. “Even the airport has great see eating as a communal activity.” the public walkway,” she explains. food.” SFO’s Terminals 2 and 3 combine runway and bay views with locally sourced attracts tourists from all over, Outside the city, “Viticulture is generating restaurants and cafés. “Hotels are elevat- but online briefings only get them so far. boutique hotels that follow a Northwest ing their cuisine,” adds Rashana Zaklit. To help them parse the city, Gensler has wine route that’s often traversed by bike,” “They’re hiring highly regarded chefs and designed two portals to local knowledge. Thomas says. Even on the big tech cam- turning their restaurants into destinations.” The first is the high-tech “flight deck” at puses, hiking trails and meeting SFO Terminal 3, which mixes flight updates are abundant. “The wellness movement is “This is a maker culture. People resist any- with a constant feed of local events and really big here, and it lives outdoors.” thing formulaic, which makes the region a attractions. The second is the San Francisco rich source of innovation,” says Geno Yun. Visitors Information Center next to the The San Francisco Bay Area has elements There’s great variety in the way food is downtown Powell Street tram/train station. in common with the Pacific Northwest and offered, for example, with an abundance of “The new center is designed to highlight . The bay is the focal food carts and trucks, and numerous insider knowledge of the city to encourage point, though, with San Francisco’s revived farmers’ markets to activate public plazas. people to explore and experience it as central waterfront spurring redevelop- Market Street Place, a multistory retail neighborhoods, just like the natives do,” ment to the south and across the shipping center, is considering a weekly produce says Janice Cavaliere.

north america T he Center: below: Chicago’s Timbuk2 store is a prototype for a US Cities of the Plain expansion that will fit the brand with its urban locations.

In the North American heartland, the The West Loop is also changing as tech Great Recession hit hard in the Rust Belt; moves in, taking advantage of great transit less so in areas cushioned by the energy access—a new CTA station—and the ability sector, like urban and Canada. Now, to reposition a former meatpacking dis- six years later, with manufacturing making trict into a vibrant work, living, and leisure a tech-enhanced comeback, the big cities setting. Kyle Davis, who’s working with around the Great Lakes are rebuilding and a Chicago developer to reposition a late redefining themselves. 19th-century warehouse building, credits a filled-up downtown with pushing develop- “Chicago is seeing phenomenal growth ment west. “There’s a tremendous migration, in hotels,” says Wesley LeBlanc. “It benefits but the pull is the district’s history.” That quick take: The center from being both a business and leisure authenticity speaks to a big trend on the market, with leisure on the rise,” supported Third Coast: that leisure and work are Midwest cities are bouncing back. Energy-fueled Texas (and Canada) by Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s Choose Chicago increasingly joined at the hip. are powering forward. campaign to boost tourism. A prime example is the 1,200-room Marriott Marquis planned Meanwhile, in Texas, North America’s new next to McCormick Place, North America’s energy profile has sparked the Houston As city centers attract new growth, the suburbs are being remade as largest convention center. Connected to and Dallas metropolises to transform them- regional mixed-use destinations. it by bridges, the 54-story hotel will breathe selves from a leisure standpoint. Tech-fueled new life into the South Loop—“adding a Austin, building on its music scene, is also new park and a 24/7 mix of retail and enter- burnishing its reputation. Density is activating leisure, mak- ing cars less important and local tainment that locals and conventioneers flavor and experience more so. can share,” Lamar Johnson explains. The For car-centric Houston, the big news tower’s modularity and materiality fit with is what planners call “walkable urbanism.” the Chicago skyline. The city’s suburban nodes are turning into The 1,200-room Marriott Marquis hotel adjoining McCormick Place, Chicago.

6 dialogue 26 I Talking About Leisure & Lifestyle 7 below: The Freehouse Independent School District on a Multi-Use local materials—to a 30-key boutique hotel in Minneapolis celebrates Events Center that hosts city and district that will feel almost handmade. artisanal beer brewing. events, gives local high schools a playfield, and adjoins the Cowboys’ headquarters. Like Dallas and Houston, the Austin city “It even has a main street their bands can edge is getting an urban feel. David Epstein march down,” says Ron Turner. Public bond describes the latest evolution of an old money is partially paying for the Events tech campus that’s becoming a mixed-use Center part of the project. center: “Our model for the Domain is downtown Austin’s Sixth Street—a place denser, more robust places with a much Live music is a theme in Austin, and it’s not that’s rough and authentic. It’s also hack- more citylike combination of components. just marching bands. The music scene goes able, designed to allow retail tenants to This is visible in Houston, where outdated hand-in-hand with an urban university and a put their stamp on it.” With new housing, neighborhood centers and strip malls are tech-driven economy. “It makes for a quirky, a hotel, and a community park, this is being rebuilt at an urban scale. River Oaks, eclectic vibe,” says Todd Runkle. It’s also “instant urbanism,” he says, “but the archi- a 250,000-square-foot development, thriving, with new development ranging tecture is relaxed, open to self-expression is an example, shifting away from horizon- from a 1,000-room Fairmont convention over time, just like the music.” And just tally separated uses toward synergistic, hotel—crisply modern but incorporating like Austin itself, he might have added. pedestrian-friendly ones. Density packs more in. “Developers recognize that land is a limited resource and that reinforcing a sense of community makes places attrac- tive and profitable,” says Peter Merwin.

Houston’s new Hotel Alessandra “aims to engage the downtown community and bring nighttime and weekend activity that doesn’t really exist there yet,” says Nancy Nodler. The 225-room hotel will anchor a vibrant downtown retail district, helping the weekday work-dominated area shift to leisure uses that can generate new growth. “Younger workers expect it,” Merwin says. “Houston businesses are competing for top talent, so this is a necessity.”

Merwin adds that a 250-acre city-in-a-city is planned for Houston’s west side. Its 7.6-million-square-foot program is set out as distinct neighborhoods to give resi- north america dents and workers multiple reasons to get out and explore. A green armature of open space—organized around transit—links the different parts, including one of Houston’s T he East: leading medical centers, to form a com- plete community, he explains. Leisure Fast and Slow Something similar is happening in Dallas, where the fast-growing suburbs are being quick take: The east redeveloped at a more urban scale to cater Ask Gensler New York’s Beth Novitsky Northeast’s. “You can space things out far- to growing affluence and sophistication. about leisure and she laughs. “Around here, ther here because people don’t have a Differences in the “Dubai’s Invest Group Overseas is known it doesn’t exist.” Rob Gatzke agrees. problem with stopping and pausing,” adds pace of life have a for luxury residential and mixed use,” says “There’s that ‘New York minute’ thing going O’Brien. “It’s okay to meander. That’s why marked effect on leisure settings up Marsha Getto-Aikens. “It’s infusing its on—an expectation of speed.” Asked the South Beach’s Lincoln Road is thriving as Service is changing and down the to reflect the self- projects here with a high-end experience same question, Colin O’Brien says that a retail destination, despite the heat.” East Coast. directed preferences that’s tuned to urbanizing communities like Atlanta “celebrates slow. You don’t want to of younger, tech- Frisco.” Jill Wheeler adds that, “Even at work up a sweat.” From Toronto to Miami, For the Gen-X and Millennial cohort, “there’s savvy consumers. the value end of the market, the new East Coast leisure comes in local flavors. more browsing and less heavy selling,” Here Today store we designed is all about What’s meant as desirable efficiency in says Teddy Mayer. “Service is less overt. Mixed-use, walkable destinations the experience.” hotels in the Northeast “can be off-putting Checking into a hotel, young people don’t are proliferating as cities and to some visitors,” Gatzke notes. “They see need restaurant recommendations—they suburbs seek to add density. The Dallas Cowboys’ Jerry Jones has teamed it as bad service.” Where Southern hospital- have Yelp.” Limited service doesn’t mean up with the City of Frisco and the Frisco ity still thrives, the pace will lag the that people don’t have high expectations of Harman’s flagship store takes a storytelling approach to selling audio equipment.

8 dialogue 26 I Talking About Leisure & Lifestyle 9 above: Neiman Marcus in the hotels, stores, restaurants, and sports “Each area tells a story, with a virtual above: Boilermaker is part an edge-city landmark in Northern As Goldstein notes, the mix of uses speaks Bal Harbour is designed venues they patronize. They want the concierge as a guide.” of Forest City’s mixed-use has evolved from a regional shopping to another leisure trend: “As urbanites to attract a younger crowd. remake of the Yard experience to be rich and diverse. Yet, up in Washington, DC. destination to a mixed-use urban center— adjust their work/life balance, the craving and down the East Coast, “ease of use is a Kathleen Jordan notes, “Larger stores are served by five Metro stations and anchored for shared and self-determined experi- priority,” Gatzke says. “It’s the ‘Apple changing to attract a younger demographic.” by a Gensler-designed office tower. Taking ences blurs the old boundaries.” effect,’” adds Michael Gatti, noting that The remodel of the Bal Harbour, Florida, Tysons from a suburban to an urban den- when that company first opened its stores Neiman Marcus replaced menswear on the sity, with transit access, “turns shopping So whether the pace is New York City fast in 2001, “the hard sell, the aisles crammed first floor with its edgiest fashion. To get inside out,” he says. “Stores can touch or Atlanta slow, leisure is changing—and with merchandise—it all went away.” the men to go upstairs, it gave them a club customers at multiple points, because they the cities and their suburbs are changing floor with an updated café and fashion- experience Tysons as a walkable setting.” around it. Today, customers are drawn by the total forward ambience. The result? “Sales are that’s part of the architecture—“tchotchkes Leaving the suburban paradigm behind experience. “You entice them with ads, up 30 percent,” she says. in the lobby won’t cut it. In New York, is opening up the forms and formats stores social media, and word of mouth, and use local means the neighborhood,” he notes. can take. Mimi Zeiger is a Los Angeles–based events and online engagement to keep Hotels are also responding to the growing A related phenomenon is the upgrading writer and a contributing editor at them coming back,” Lauren Adams explains. desire for a self-directed experience. As of lower-end hotels and even hostels to In Washington, DC, Forest City is trans- Architect. Aryn Beitz is a Gensler The two-level Harman flagship store on a result, “the idea of luxury is changing,” attract the bed-and-breakfast app crowd. forming the old Navy Yard near the editor based in New York City and Manhattan’s Madison Avenue exemplifies says Mayer. “The new attitude is, ‘I don’t “Two-star is the new three- or four-star,” Anacostia River into a live/work/play a contributor to Design Bureau. how the retail experience has changed. need all that extra stuff.’ If the hotel itself Gatzke says, with rooms that are “clean, community. Both the riverfront, now an Amanda Kolson Hurley writes for Harman is famous for high-end home and is the heart of the experience, of the mem- modern, crisp, and simple.” Adds Jordan, important amenity for the city’s Southeast, Architect and the Washington Post events audio. “Equipment once used by ories guests take back with them, then “People don’t stay in their rooms—they’re and the Nationals Park baseball stadium from Washington, DC. Jimi Hendrix and Lyndon Johnson is in its the service can be dialed back.” Of course, out exploring the city.” are big draws, but recasting the gorgeous collection,” says Gatti. Combining media they still have expectations, he cautions. old factory buildings adds to the Navy Yard’s and design “showcases Harman’s history, “They really want a home-away-from-home The hunger for activity is fueling mixed- appeal. The 1919 Boilermaker Building is draws customers to its products, and feeling, so the tone is more residential.” use redevelopment, Jordan Goldstein an example, renovated to house a bakery, invites them to interact,” adds Novitsky. There’s also a big desire for local culture says. A prime example is Tysons Corner, brew pub, and mezzanine office space.

10 dialogue 26 I Talking About Leisure & Lifestyle 11 LATIN AMERICA The 2014 FIFA World Cup proved that when it comes to leisure, Latin America is a player. Sports are big, but the opportunities are bigger. By Mimi Zeiger

Goal! The word’s enthusiasm sums up a burgeoning market for leisure in Latin America. It also speaks to Gensler’s quick take: LATIN AMERICA presence there, exemplified not only by its involvement in the World Cup, but by a growing portfolio of high-profile Sports are a big part of leisure, paired with complementary uses projects for Latin America–based and global companies. to generate year-round revenue. “What makes leisure different here is the social aspect,” says Gensler’s Luca Panhota. “Brazilians are rabid sports fans, but the games are social events. People want these Security is often a factor, with consum- gathering places, so mixed-use destinations are growing.” ers seeking safe havens for family Growing affluence Gensler teamed with Brazil’s Coutinho Diegues Cordeiro outings and is making quality of socializing. Arquitetos (CDCA) to design Arena Corinthians for the life more important. Traffic congestion is 2014 FIFA World Cup. Located in Itaquera, near São Paulo, an issue. the stadium was initially “designed to be redesigned,” according to Panhota. The World Cup opening match was played there, along with a semi-final match. “Priority one was to be ready, which we were. Priority two is to rework the stadium for the Corinthians’ post-Cup use.”

“The Corinthians stadium expresses a uniquely Brazilian view of leisure that combines sports, entertainment, and fandom with family, food, and an enriched urban life,” says Gensler’s Ron Turner, who is leading the interior portion of the stadium’s redesign. The Corinthians are a top team in Brazil, he notes. “Given the club’s rich history, we want to celebrate that legacy so fans feel, ‘This is our stadium.’ But we also want it to be a year-round destination.”

In Mexico City, is a gathering place that appeals to its customers’ desire for outdoor living.

dialogue 26 I Talking About Leisure & Lifestyle 13 Fans at Arena Corinthians in Itaquera, Brazil, at the time of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

More than just soccer region, accessible by light rail and trains,” and out—creating an experience that’s Just as the Brazilians are passionate about MacCullough explains. Gensler’s stadium part of the social lives of the region’s coffee soccer, Venezuelans are devoted to base- responds directly to the park’s dramatic drinkers,” says Scott Mitchem, Starbucks ball, selling out games and cheering their setting, a natural ravine. “We designed it director of Latin America store design. teams with abandon. La Rinconada stadium, with an open center field that looks out a new Gensler-designed ballpark, speaks toward Caracas. The two wings appear to In Brazil, the celebrated beach culture to the sport’s egalitarian nature and the reach out to embrace the city in the dis- spawned the sandals that Havaianas made long tradition of baseball in the country. tance.” The ramps that extend out from these famous. As Havaianas adds clothes to “We will acknowledge the history of their wings create a remarkable entry sequence its retail offering, Gensler is redesigning great players and capture the flavor of for the stadium that takes advantage of the the store for Brazil and ultimately for the their older ballparks in the way we design park’s natural beauty and gorgeous views. world. “Open-air street markets gave us the different elements of the new stadum,” the look,” says Thais Rosa. Gensler is also says Glenn MacCullough. Outdoors is a theme designing Club Med’s first store outside La Rinconada stadium reflects the fact that, of France. “The idea is to make Brazilians Urban connectivity is key to successful despite rampant urbanization, Latin Ameri- feel they’re staying at a resort,” says sports venues in Latin America. The new cans want to mix nature into their leisure Maureen Boyer. 35,000-seat baseball stadium is a prime experience. “At Starbucks, we have evolved example. It’s part of a 200-hectare (495-acre) our approach to store design by creating Negotiating the city sports park that will also add a new soccer spaces that meet the unique needs of the In retail centers and mixed-use projects stadium and concert venue to an existing community while also being a reflection across the region, a key factor is how horse track. “It’s planned as a sports-and- of the culture. In Latin America, that often to use design to negotiate the relationship entertainment destination for the Caracas means a strong interplay between indoors between the city and the leisure experience.

Sports are big in Latin America, as the below: La Rinconada baseball World Cup attests. Baseball, too, has a stadium celebrates a top sport with fans in Caracas big following. and throughout Venezuela.

14 dialogue 26 I Talking About Leisure & Lifestyle 15 above: The new Havaianas above: The Hotel at Park below: Grupo Aliss’s transit- be filled with food vendors and ringed From beachwear to retail centers to coastal store in São Paulo uses an Royale anchors a sustainable, served Plaza Andén will be with restaurants. “It’s a place for families open-air market theme to add 26-acre mixed-use develop- a gateway retail center for clothing to the mix. ment in Costa Rica. Heredia City, Costa Rica. to get together,” Wolff says. “It speaks to resorts, outdoors is a theme. the importance of food in the social life of Latin Americans.”

“There aren’t many places for people to congregate in San José,” Hammond adds. “Plaza Andén and Curridabat provide them.” There’s a desire to create unique spaces that in San José often makes Los Angeles seem their individual journeys, taking account Resorts serving locals are also a growing cater to families spending the day socializ- uncongested,” Richard Hammond notes. of all the different demographics,” he adds. part of Costa Rica’s leisure picture, notes ing, shopping, and dining at the same retail In response, leading retail center clients To motivate people to explore, the Polanco Alex Fernandez. “Getting out of town on venue. However, their ability to relax into provide hands-free zones: “When parents flagship sports a multistory atrium offering weekends is increasingly popular with the this leisure time is dependent on security. walk in, they feel sufficiently safe from gourmet food and dining—a nod to the city dwellers.” This means the retail center becomes a cars that they’ll let go of their kids’ hands.” city’s burgeoning food scene. destination where the experience begins Leisure has to get families off the streets Throughout Latin America, global hotel outside on the street, continues into the and give them great outdoor spaces and In Costa Rica, the growth of mass transit brands are moving up market to cater to parking sequence, and culminates in the places to hang out. around San José is creating new opportuni- growing affluence, Tom Ito observes. He protected zone inside. ties for gateway developments outside the sees locally flavored design, lots of health- Family is at the heart city’s historic central core. An example is and-wellness offerings, and sustainable “You don’t see that many sidewalks in Gensler paired with one of Latin America’s Plaza Andén in Heredia City, which Gensler features like green walls and natural venti- Costa Rican cities, not even in San José, so most prestigious retailers to design its new is designing for Grupo Aliss. Served by lation as trends. “Latin Americans are it’s basically impossible to go window shop- flagship department store in Mexico City’s rail and bus service, the mixed-use center more sophisticated than ever,” he says. ping,” Christian Wolff explains. “Our goal Polanco district. “It will redefine the cate- is planned to capture foot traffic from is always to foster interaction between gory,” says Michael Gatti. “Family life is both. A second center for Grupo Aliss in people, supporting their social life, and cre- at the heart of it.” Along with welcoming Curridabat organizes shopping, cinemas, Mimi Zeiger is a Los Angeles–based ating safe places where they can have families and giving them places to congre- and health-and-wellness events and facili- writer and a contributing editor lunch and bring their families.” “The traffic gate and meet up, “we have to provide for ties around a central courtyard that will at Architect.

16 dialogue 26 I Talking About Leisure & Lifestyle 17 Two continents’ worth of urban markets, some just emerging and others long established—with this diversity come fast-evolving, locally nuanced ideas about leisure that are redefining the category. By Sarah Amelar

The image of the big Asian and Australian cities is of modernity writ large. But consider Singapore: after a period quick take: asia + australia of rampant modernization, “they realized they were bull- dozing their patrimony,” says Gensler’s Michael Wiener. Rising affluence creates consumers who want to be educated by retail- Preserving tradition became a priority. And while Sydney ers on how to use the products. is redeveloping its docklands in modern Canary Wharf style, the historic core of the city still exists, says Simon Trude. To stay competitive, the owners of the older build- To cater to travelers from home, local ings are repositioning them to serve a changing lifestyle. hotel brands are “The competitive edge for the older districts is the way expanding regionally. “Modern” leisure is work and leisure are converging,” he says. Office buildings increasingly infused are adding fashion retail and flexible eateries: cafés in the with elements of tradition in its set- morning and full-on restaurants at night. Bike storage, tings and offerings. showers, lockers, gyms, pools, yoga studios, and personal services support the healthy, outdoors-oriented work style and lifestyle that define Sydney.

Unlike Australians, Asia’s rising middle class isn’t interested in extreme fitness. “In China, outdoors can mean a stroll at the city edge. You don’t see many climbing walls in sports stores,” says Richard Chang. That could change as young people travel abroad. Indoor ski slopes, and experience and pop-up stores focused on sports brands are signs of a shift. “There’s an appetite for new products, but they want to know exactly how to use them,” he says. “Retailers curate and display outfits and other goods so customers can see at a glance how they go together.”

Diesel Planet in Shanghai illustrates how fashion fits lifestyle and augments its line with bespoke clothes.

18 dialogue 26 I Talking About Leisure & Lifestyle 19 above: The five-star CATIC Asian urbanites fuse a modern lifestyle hotel in Kunshan will make its lounge and restaurant with a strong family/social tradition. a prominent lobby feature.

China’s one-child policy, along with compul- conversations about Asian leisure. Influ- Sharing a meal “is about the warmth and above: The CP Super Brand a generous apartment paired with a hotel’s sory retirement at a relatively young age, enced by family structure, social patterns, melodious din of life, what we call ren qi— Mall in Luoyang, Henan worth of facilities and amenities is almost Province, is aimed at China’s means that a rising cohort of retirees will aesthetic preferences, evolving traditions, human spirit,” says Jia. “Yet people want prosperous, fast-growing a necessity,” says Wiener. soon complement the youth market. “With and the spice of modernity, food is part of quieter places adjacent to that boister- middle class. their children moving into white-collar jobs, how each locality finds its distinctive style. ous atmosphere.” To reinforce a sense of Hybridizing the mix the ‘young-old’ have increased buying Two cities as close as Tokyo and Osaka are intimacy, private dining is almost self- China is arguably the world leader in mixed power for leisure,” says Lin Jia. In contrast, very different, Yukiko Kawazoe observes— contained, with amenities like karaoke use, and not just at an urban scale. For 67 percent of Indians are under the age “Tokyo likes minimal and exquisite; Osaka and en suite services. “The whole family is hospitality and retail, the need to tailor of 30. Mass leisure is big there and films are likes big portions and value.” That applies there—grandparents to young children.” India is complicated by the fact that 40 per- brands don’t always anticipate. “Hotels global brands for local consumption was the heart of it. “The studios make 900 to retail, says Daichi Amano, “With Tokyo cent of the population is vegetarian, Gupta have an army of servers, and the clientele resisted by brands aiming for a signature movies a year,” says Smita Gupta. “There’s a land prices so high, the stores are chic and In India, the scale of social gatherings is notes. “Kitchens have to be separate, so all have drivers. They need a place to wait, consistency. “That’s changing,” says cinema for every price point.” PVR Cinemas ultra-efficient, doing more with less. Osaka even larger. “It’s not unusual for a birthday the back of house is correspondingly larger.” so the top-tier hotels are finally providing Contreras. “Brands see that customizing caters to the upper end of the market with stores are more expansive and relaxed.” party for a one-year-old to have 100 or 150 It’s the opposite in Myanmar, Wiener says. that.” In India, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka, and localizing help define a unique char- destination theaters. Such is Bollywood’s guests,” says Gupta. “It’s expressive of the “A wedding is a more modest affair—a slice leisure caters to regional tourists and nation- acter.” The trend for hotel restaurants to power that the locations of its films, such In China, “big hotels always have a Chinese parents’ position in society and the impor- of cake and you’re on your way.” So a new als visiting from abroad. The five-star ITC become hot destinations means that as the Alps, become favored destinations restaurant with private dining spaces,” tance of the extended family—not just Mandalay convention center may have hotel and residences in Sri Lanka targets lobbies are inviting locals in. They’re also for travel-crazy Indians. says Tomás Contreras. “Food is social glue, siblings and cousins, but work colleagues. banqueting, but the back of house is scaled Indians looking for a familiar brand with designed to mutate over the course of the so restaurants with local cuisine are where Weddings are business-social.” Banquet way down. a “responsible luxury” image. An updated day, catering to a changing clientele. The social matrix people celebrate weddings and other rooms are a huge source of revenue for the five-star complex in Jakarta appeals to Like the essential ingredient in a great occasions,” he adds. “It’s also where most top hotels across Asia. While the format Luxury in India is labor-intensive, Kap Malik expats home on leave. “High net-worth On the retail front, Shanghai’s new Diesel swirling soup, eating comes up in most business deals get made and signed.” in Korea and Japan is recognizably global, says—something that international hotel Indonesians will host the whole family, so flagship store integrates bespoke tailoring

20 dialogue 26 I Talking About Leisure & Lifestyle 21 to differentiate itself as an international The growing desire for authenticity and a Asian leisure draws on the past without brand. “This is really a global trend,” Chang touch of tradition is prompting in-city taking it literally, says Ken Sizemore. Feng says. “Foreign brands that have one image destinations like Shanghai’s Xin Tian Di and shui influences modern Chinese and Thai in their home market can break out of it in Tian Zi Fang, Amber Sun explains. They architecture. “In Manila, you see modern another, targeting more affluent consum- repurpose the historic pattern of shop shopping centers that preserve a tradi- ers. That’s also true for Chinese brands.” houses and narrow, tree-lined alleys into tional indoor-outdoor flow,” adds Wiener. car-free settings of smaller-scale cafés, res- “By heeding the microclimate and using For apparel and home-furnishing brands in taurants, and boutiques or arts-and-crafts shade and shadow effectively, you can open China, the most successful are really selling enclaves. In Beijing, freeway-size arterials them up and still be comfortable.” Honor- a lifestyle. “Yet everything has to be fine- and full-block buildings are problematic ing these nuances, he believes, is how tuned, city by city, to reflect climate and for leisure. “Making room for it is a chal- leisure speaks to sense of place across this local preferences,” Chang says. The social lenge,” says Emma Chang. Gensler is vast and exceptionally varied region. matrix figures here, as well, with shopping designing a walkable creekside “village” often becoming a full-family expedition. at the city edge and resorts close enough Creating destinations for family shoppers for short getaways. “There’s a desire for Sarah Amelar writes for Dwell, drives mixed use. They offer something for leisure with a human scale and a sense of Architectural Record, and the everyone, readily accessible and all under nature,” she says. Despite heavy traffic, New York Times. one climate-controlled roof. people will seek them out.

Leisure comes in all sizes in Asia, below: Max Brenner Choco- but with a shared interest in opening late Bar in the Omotesando Hills retail center adapts a things up and inviting people in. NY favorite to Tokyo tastes.

ITC’s Colombo One Hotel brings a leading regional brand to Sri Lanka.

22 dialogue 26 I Talking About Leisure & Lifestyle 23 THE MIDDLE E EUROPE Many perspectives shape leisure in the region. But there’s common ground in customers’ desire for a rich mix of experiences. By Vernon Mays

Leisure is viewed from many different perspectives across quick take: mIddle east + europe the Middle East and Europe, reflecting differences in aes- thetic preferences, social patterns, economic and political Shoppers in the UK factors, climate, and the details of government rules and are choosing brands that offer a good regulations. What is standard practice in Kuwait City may customer experience New ambitions, not be in London, and vice versa. “Even so, there’s consid- and first-rate service. paired with minimal erable common ground,” says Gensler’s Jon Tollit. “Leisure regulation in the clientele expect that culture, entertainment, shopping, Middle East, trigger rapid growth. hospitality, and other uses will come together as real places that support their lifestyle.”

Hospitality brands, facing rising Urban-scale mixed-use development is the norm in cities customer expectations, have to up their game to compete. like Doha and Moscow—often achieved at a faster pace than is possible in London and elsewhere in Western Europe. “The scale and speed are mind-boggling,” says Philip Gillard. Along with addressing all of the variations in requirements, the design challenge is to tailor the setting to the location and the experience to the expectations of the local market. “The Gulf cities—Abu Dhabi, Doha, Dubai, and Kuwait City—are as different from each other as London is from Paris, Berlin, or Budapest. What works well in one could fall flat in another.” So while the Middle East pace reflects projects led by state enterprises or investors, there’s an awareness that the community will vote with its feet if the decision-makers get it wrong. “As designers, we put a lot of effort into getting the pieces right,” adds Gillard.

Transit-served Msheireb Downtown Doha blends Qatari heritage and aesthet- ics with today’s technology.

24 dialogue 26 I Talking About Leisure & Lifestyle 25 Fine dining in the Prestige district at The Avenues plays off of the elegant surround- ings and luxury retailers.

above: Wafra Seef, on the Global brands face a high level of coast near Kuwait City, satisfies a demand for more sophistication, rising guest expectations, destination retail venues. and growing competition.

Regenerating a city district Developer Msheireb Properties is tapping Translating hospitality brands These days, Gillard is focused on Msheireb into a renewed desire by people to live These are interesting times for hospitality Downtown Doha, a 31-hectare (77-acre) in transit-served urban areas with a rich in the Middle East and Europe, says José mixed-use development. Gensler is execu- variety of restaurants, entertainment, Sirera. “As global brands enter the market, tive architect and one of several design and cultural activities. The district’s retail they face a high level of sophistication, architects for the current phase of the centers, however, still require generous rising guest expectations, and growing project, which is regenerating a district of drop-off areas at the entrances for the large competition. Even brands with strong global the city as a collection of walkable, multi- numbers of people who tend to drive reputations must provide something new use neighborhoods. Leisure figures heavily everywhere. Placemaking is a key element and different.” One result is that when in the mix, with three retail centers, too, with a network of shaded squares, brands travel to the Middle East, they tend street-level shops, two hotels, and mostly courtyards, and streets. “You have the abil- to go up market. In Riyadh, for example, low-rise traditional residences, in addition ity to stop, sit, and watch the world go by. Gensler is designing a hotel for a typical to new office space. That feels familiar,” Gillard says. three- or four-star brand. However, in Riyadh it will be five stars, Sirera notes. Premium room rates associated with recog- nized hotel brands outside their home markets are one reason. “People want to get the maximum ROI,” he explains. “When they choose a branded hotel overseas, they expect that it will have a conference center, a proper gym or spa, a concierge floor, and a swimming pool—all of the facil- ities and amenities, in other words, that put it in the five-star category.”

On another Riyadh project, Gensler is right: Cloud 9 will offer a safe place for kids ages 10–16 to converting an existing apartment building learn and play in Riyadh. into a Rosewood Hotel, where the level of

26 dialogue 26 I Talking About Leisure & Lifestyle 27 Intelligent life invited Gensler to reimagine bookshops for a digital age. The design makes it a focal point for all kinds of book-centered the bookshop of the future experiences.

1: consult with a literary sommelier

The shop offers a high level of service with one-on-one consultations and personal shopping.

2: discover new things by browsing 1

The central zone is a long table where a curated selection of books can be thumbed through at leisure.

3: Make a stop at the vending Wall 2

On the run? A vending wall at the entrance dispenses books and music with the swipe of a card.

3

4: Download digital media day or night

A touchscreen on the store- 4 front provides ready access to digital products whenever the mood strikes.

service is being elevated to pamper guests That’s providing new creative opportunities The point, Tollit says, was to create an Phase 3 addition, a 900,000-square-foot heavily in leisure facilities as it prepares to above: The Avenues is an with five-star amenities. Rather than place a for Gensler designers to be involved in the environment that blends technology and retail center divided into thematic zones host the World Expo 2020 Dubai, says urbane, walkable place that invites shoppers to explore revolving door at the entrance, the redesign virtual world, branding, mobile technology, authentic experience, but allows the user that recall celebrated shopping districts Tareq Abu-Sukheila. In the meantime, fam- it in comfort year-round. calls for a set of conventional swinging and pop-up retail. “Customers are less to opt out of either. “Those same elements around the world. ily tourism is driving the demand for large, In the UK, retail’s focus doors where a doorman will greet arriving predictable and more volatile, which is shift- could be combined differently in other mixed-use centers that combine retail, guests by name. ing the focus to new criteria that are not places. It’s about giving people choices.” To accommodate the social nature of shop- hospitality, theaters, and theme parks in is less about product than about product, but about experience and ping in Kuwait, where families and friends enclosed, air-conditioned facilities that An undersupply of good hotels in the level of service.” Destinations for dining stroll along the Grand Avenue for enter- offer relief from the seasonal heat. experience and service. Middle East and Russia—two areas that still Choice of a different sort is becoming the tainment, Gensler’s design team widened lag behind the US and Western Europe, Just such an opportunity arose when a sister norm in retail centers across the region as the pedestrian street to 22 meters (72 feet). “The developers especially want to attract where supply and demand are better publication of The Economist, Intelligent Life, customers look for better alternatives It’s become a prime location to see and tourists from markets like Japan, Korea, balanced—is also fueling the drive to com- approached Gensler’s London office to to the fast-food fare that once prevailed be seen in the city. Catering to a similar India, China, and Africa,” says Shean Yu. plete new properties. That’s good news design a hypothetical bookshop geared for in retail settings. While food courts aren’t desire for family-friendly entertainment in “The big spenders expect education and for hotel guests, who should begin to see survival in the digital age. Tollit and London disappearing completely, a richer mix of Saudi Arabia, Gensler designed Cloud 9, an culture along with luxury retail. And there’s more competitive rates. colleague Owain Roberts completely food-and-beverage options is showing up interactive children’s museum located in healthcare tourism: people are flying in for reinvented the bookshop instead. Their in shopping centers. The higher-end offers Riyadh’s mixed-use King Abdullah Financial top-quality medical treatment.” Retail’s shifting tide vision encourages literary sampling of all are positioned strategically, rather than District. Aimed at kids 10 to 16, Cloud 9 In the UK, retailers are keeping a keen eye kinds: grabbing a paperback, browsing in clustered in one spot. “Food-and-beverage combines physical activities with multiple on their customers, who are reevaluating a cozy chair, building a customized reading is destinational,” says Tariq Shaikh. “It opportunities for learning. Vernon Mays is a senior editor at their values and desires in light of an list, self-publishing an essay, or attending increases footfall both to the mall and Gensler and a contributing editor at uncertain economy and rapidly changing book clubs or author events. The store- within the mall.” At The Avenues in Kuwait Investing in the UAE Architect magazine. technology. “Many of our retail clients are front even incorporates a touchscreen for City, for example, restaurants are dis- The Middle East’s appetite for retail centers wondering where to go next,” says Tollit. downloading e-books 24/7. persed throughout the Gensler-designed extends to the UAE, which is investing

28 dialogue 26 I Talking About Leisure & Lifestyle 29 BRAND ENGAGEMENT RESEARCH

A Premium for Emotional Engagement cheerleaders, We identified respondents’ levels of emotional engagement with a brand through a series of questions with emotional triggers. An industry’s level of engagement aligns with customers’ willingness to groupies & pay and their reasons why a given brand is significant to them. fair-weather fans TOP ATTRIBUTES THAT MAKE A FAVORITE BRAND SIGNIFICANT Emotional attachment is something brands desire TO THE RESPONDENT SP I HAVE BEEN CONNECTED TO IT FOR A LONG TIME ORTS from their customers, and with good reason, but IT EXPRESSES MY PERSONAL STYLE Gensler’s 2013 Brand Engagement Survey found IT MAKES ME FEEL GOOD IT OFFERS THE MOST VALUE FOR THE PRICE that there’s considerably more to the story. IT HELPS ME GET A SPECIFIC JOB/TASK DONE

By Tim Pittman 58% Gensler’s 2013 Brand Engagement Survey lays it out. and vehicular choices more easily conveyed to others than

Customers with high levels of emotional engagement with our fashion and sports choices? And what about financial How likely are you to recommend brand C their favorite brands will pay more for those products and brands, whose customers rank low on both emotional attach- to friends and/or family? L (Percent responding “very likely”) O services, and speak positively about them to friends and ment and likelihood of recommendation? T family. But products, services, and customers vary widely H 74% I across brand categories—you feel differently about your People, place, and product 73% 73% N avg. G favorite sports team than about your favorite bank. Some things are universal. In-person interactions with brands 4 72%  appear highly aligned with likelihood of recommendation, % Deanna Francl and Virginia Sertich, who spearheaded so investing in the customer experience always makes 67% 68% the survey, note that analyzing the data by category has sense. Of the factors that contribute to in-person experi- 65% interesting implications for brand engagement and ence, product availability is the most common attribute Sports and Clothing brands are less likely to spread Industries via word of mouth, despite high levels of emotional shown from evangelism. For example, when asked why their favorite across the categories. This implies that failing to meet key engagement. Financial brands are also challenged lowest to highest brands are so significant to them, customers across the needs will trump experience and connection. To reinforce on recommendations. (counter-clockwise) Willing to board noted long-term engagement as a key attribute— the point, customers surveyed also said that of the differ- by average Emotional Engagement pay more? but then their responses diverge. Brands that elicit strong ent factors that contribute to brand loyalty, quality tops emotional connections speak to customers’ individual the list overall and in most categories. How satisfied do you usually feel after Percentage of respondents interacting with brand in person?  who pay more for values—“makes me feel good” or “expresses my personal 4 (Percent responding “very satisfied”) their favorite brand style.” Brands that elicit lower emotional engagement The other responses stress the importance of people and % % skew toward “value for the price” or “gets the job done.” place to success—staff friendliness and helpfulness also versus an identical product  at a lower price. 2 rank as highly important to in-person satisfaction. Sports 63% 63% 62% Passion doesn’t always translate to word of mouth brands are a notable exception. Design and location are avg. Customers across all brand segments reported a high like- big with sports customers: they’re not there for the staff, 58% lihood of recommendingLikelihood of their recommendation favorite brands to others— they’re In-personthere for the satisfaction game and the fan experience. Feelings of loss 72 percentQ: are How “very likely likely” are to you do so.to recommendBut for those with Q: How satis ed do you usually feel after Q: How would you feel if brand 57% 55% F high levels brandof emotional to friends connection, and/or family? it rises to 84 percent. Even wheninteracting the focus with isn’t brand on the in staff,person? the importance of went away or no longer existed?48% I % N 0 T (Percent responding “very satisfied”) (PercentClothing respondingbrands have a “Isignificant would be opportunity devastated” to ) 2 2 Split the data(Percent by brand responding category “veryand a likely”different) story engaging and integrating customer values remains. The A 5 N improve in-person customer experience. % emerges: sports and clothing, the two highest emotional- survey asked customers to indicate their own values and N E C engagement groups, fall to the bottom of the list, replaced what they saw as their favorite brands’ key values. The M E N by technology, entertainment, and automotive brands alignment in responses is astonishing, both in aggregate I A as those most likely to garner a recommendation. How did and across the different brand segments. The variation How would you feel if brand went away 29% T Av or no longer existed? erage of all respondents R technology make it to the top? One84% explanation is that in their chosen values harks back 74%to the varying levels of 75% E (Percent responding “I would be devastated”) willing to pay more T the more pragmaticAVG* nature of technology’s68 significance to emotional attachmentAVG* across brand categories—and62 the AVG* 81 65 57 43 N 72% 58% 51% E consumers lends itself to sharing the news with others. importance of understanding how and why customers 81% T 78% E They can easily envision74 enjoying something for its engage. Brand strategies 55should take this into account. 48 C

67 48 48 H use-value alone, whereas it can be harder for them to N empathize with a brand that’s aligned with its endorser’s avg. O 73 73 63 63 46 78 LO feelings or personal style. That may be too subjective. Tim Pittman, Gensler’s research communications 51% G manager, coedited its 2014 Research Catalogue. Y The equation isn’t cut-and-dried, of course—entertainment 43% 48% 46% 48% brands rank high for recommendations yet exhibit more VE personal significance, while automotive brands split the Macaulay Campbell is an information design Entertainment and Sports brands have the most OTI die-hard fans, reporting high levels of devastation if AUTOM difference by focusing on both value and personal style. strategist with Gensler, based in New York. the brand went away. Are the Sportsstyle and and expression clothing brands we exhibit are less in likely our entertainmentto spread via word Clothing brands have a significant opportunity to improve Entertainment and sports brands have the most “die-hard” fans, of mouth, despite high levels of emotional engagement. in-person customer experience. reporting high levels of "devastation" if the brand went away.

30 dialogue 26 I Talking About Leisure & Lifestyle 31 transformer motorola mobility chicago VIEWS + NEWS

In the amenity race that defines the tech sector’s aggres- interconnecting stair and engaged a fabric artist to yarn- Location: Merchandise Mart (4 floors) sive recruiting efforts, it’s an advantage to be urban. “The bomb a corridor. Multiple microkitchens—including a Zen Population: 2,400 people industry’s emerging talent wants to live in cities,” says garden, sports den, and map room—reflect the variety of Total area: 605,000 sf / 56,206 sm Gensler’s Carlos Martinez. So Motorola Mobility opted to a city block. In one, a wall is painted to look like a Georges Lab area: 80,000 sf / 7,432 sm move from suburban Libertyville, , to a renovated Seurat painting, made complete when real people are four-floor spread in Chicago’s Merchandise Mart, a 1930s- seated at tables along its length. This community’s mem- era art deco building so big that it has its own zip code. bers are free to adopt work styles that suit them, an Formerly a design center, the Mart is being recast as a ethos that carries over to the height-adjustable, mobile tech hub. (Coworking space 1871 is a tenant.) The Gensler workstations. Portable “totems” carrying power and data team preserved the Mart’s concrete columns, terrazzo let teams easily rearrange them to suit their changing floors, punched windows, and blemished concrete walls as needs. Even the fluorescent lights overhead are diagonally a textured backdrop for a headquarters that also sports a aligned so people will think beyond the usual boxy plan. roof deck, a soaring town hall, a supersized LED screen for presentations and product launches, eight labs, and about Flexibility in the tech sector reflects a desire to extend 500,000 square feet of open office space. people’s sense of ownership to the workplace itself. As Martinez notes, “Clients ask us, ‘How do you create work A big move like this is an opportunity for transformation, settings that individuals and teams can modify directly, and Motorola Mobility took it. Committed to a democratic so they feel that it’s their own?’” With their layers of uses approach, they resisted uniformity at every turn. The and panoply of voices, cities offer a particularly rich design fosters a sense of many voices contributing to the framework for doing this. Urban strategies, as Motorola chorus. Gensler enlisted a graffiti artist to decorate an Mobility shows, are applicable indoors as well as out.

32 dialogue 26 I Talking About Leisure & Lifestyle 33 Hack ney calling hac kney housE @SXSW austin, TX

Client: London Borough of Hackney To coincide with the renowned SXSW Interactive Festival, color-changing LEDs, zigzagged along the main wall like a Team: Gensler London and Austin the tech-friendly London Borough of Hackney brought slatted screen. “Parts of the ceiling were hanging down,” Venue: SXSW Interactive Festival 2014 its energy and hubbub to a Gensler-designed pop-up expo says Gensler’s Ross Burgoyne. “It was much more compel- Total area: 6,000 sf / 557 sm in Austin, where Hackney start-ups and creative agencies ling lit up than if we’d tried to make it polished or slick.” Installation time: 3 days like Mind Candy and Poke could show their wares. The Green factor: 100 percent reused venue was a derelict retail space at the corner of Congress Gensler designed Hackney House to be installed in just and E. 8th. With a theme of “Design, Make, Place” and a three days. Flexible, it gave Hackney businesses a lot of roster of talks and workshops on everything from design- leeway in setting up their own stands. In the evenings, the ing smart cities to the rise of workplace manufacturing, stage came down to make way for mixers and events. “We Hackney House @SXSW served as the borough’s embassy made it approachable so people could come in, pick things to the festival’s tech throngs for three days in March. up, and find out what was happening,” says Burgoyne. It worked: foot traffic increased twofold over last year. The storefront’s aura of urban grit and raw possibility “There was a real buzz about the place,” adds Swinhoe. provided the perfect backdrop for showcasing the rapid reinvention under way in London’s technology sector. Just as quickly as it came, it went. Right after the festival’s “Hackney is like New York’s SoHo used to be,” Gensler’s close, all of the pop-up’s makings were stripped away and Duncan Swinhoe says. To capture that edgy spirit, Gensler either returned, recycled, or stored away for Hackney built on the unfinished look of the space with reclaimed House’s next incarnation. A week after the Hackney team shipping pallets, industrial lighting rigs, red vinyl signage, descended on the vacant space, “there was very little to and simple wood booths. Exposed concrete columns show that Hackney House had ever been in Austin,” says doubled as display surfaces and the pallets, backlit with Burgoyne. “It was like a clean getaway.”

34 dialogue

editorial contributors editorial board

Tilt! Editor Sarah Amelar Robin Klehr Avia 360 Chicago, John Hancock Center chicago John Parman Aryn Beitz Andy Cohen Macaulay Campbell Art Gensler Creative Director Julia Derieux David Gensler Mark Coleman Amanda Kolson Hurley Diane Hoskins Issue Editor Vernon Mays Vernon Mays Tim Pittman Virginia Sertich Lead Designer Mimi Zeiger Ngoc Ngo

Managing Editor Lainie Ransom

Photography Editor and Team Manager Tiffany Strike

Digital Designer Jonathan Skolnick

credits thanks

All images are credited to Gensler unless Abu Dhabi: Tareq Abu-Sukheila, Gensler is a leading architecture, design, otherwise noted. Leanne Sahota, Shean Yu planning, and consulting firm, with offices in AP/Julio Cortez: page 15 Atlanta: Colin O’Brien the Americas, Asia, Australia, Europe, and the Assassi Productions: pages 2–3 Austin: David Epstein, Todd Runkle Middle East. Dialogue magazine focuses on Marcos Cimardi: page 1 top right; page 16 Bangalore: Smita Gupta design’s ability to transform organizations and Bruce Damonte: page 1 top left Bangkok: Ken Sizemore improve people’s lives. Gensler/Ryan Gobuty: cover; page 4 bottom Beijing: Emma Chang Gensler/Owain Roberts: page 28 Boston: Alex Fernandez Dialogue issues and added content can be Gensler/Antuany Smith: page 36 Chicago: Kyle Davis, Lamar Johnson, found online at dialogue.gensler.com. Gensler/Michael Townsend: page 5 Wesley LeBlanc, Carlos Martinez Individual articles also appear as features Manabu Iwata: page 23 Dallas: Marsha Getto-Aikens, Jill Wheeler on www.gensler.com (now iPad compatible). Eric Laignel: pages 32–33 Doha: Philip Gillard Charlie Mayer: page 7; page 10 Houston: Peter Merwin, Nancy Nodler Dialogue is produced twice a year by Gensler Nick Merrick/Hedrich Blessing: page 1 London: Ross Burgoyne, Alicia Cecchini, Publications. © 2014 Gensler. To comment bottom right; page 27; page 29 Voon Fui Lai, Owain Roberts, Tariq Shaikh, or request copies of the print edition, please Height: 1,000 ft / 305 m Glance at the south side of the 100-story John Hancock of no return! I need help!’” says Gensler’s Michael Gatti, Nacása & Partners, Inc.: pages 18–19 José Sirera, Duncan Swinhoe, Jon Tollit write us at [email protected]. Maximum tilt: 30 degrees Center through binoculars and you might see a section of whose team designed the Tilt visitor experience on the con- Prakash Patel: page 11 Los Angeles: Annmarie Brintnall, Tom Ito, Duration: 75 sec at full tilt windows on the 94th floor separate from the façade, the course level and renovated the 94th floor to complement Chris Payne: page 9 Kap Malik, Irwin Miller, Duncan Paterson, Dialogue is printed on FSC®-certified, 10 percent Box width: 26 ft / 8 m people inside tipping forward. That’s Tilt, a big draw at Thornton Tomasetti and Montparnasse 56’s installation of Gregory Pierce: page 4 top Ron Turner postconsumer-waste paper with ultralow- Capacity: 8 people at a time 360 Chicago, the former observatory floor recast by tourist- Tilt. More upgrades are on the way at the end of the year, Jasper Sanidad: page 8 Miami: Walter Trujillo VOC (<3 percent) vegetable oil–based ink. attraction operator Montparnasse 56. Tilt is a 26-foot-wide including a final touch-up of the concourse and revamped Morristown: Rob Gatzke Savings to our natural resources include: steel-and-glass box, engineered by Thornton Tomasetti. concessions at the observation deck, with expanded seat- New York: Lauren Adams, Michael Gatti, Three hydraulic actuators rotate it outward so eight people ing and new wood finishes. Kathleen Jordan, Teddy Mayer, 9 million BTUs of net energy can experience Chicago from 1,000 feet up—leaning out Beth Novitsky 20 fully grown trees over it at the daredevil angle of 30 degrees. Tilt itself is the main photo op—many visitors take pictures San Francisco: Barry Bourbon, 606 pounds of solid waste and videos the whole time they’re inside, says Gatti— Janice Cavaliere, Geno Yun, Rashana Zaklit 1,669 pounds of greenhouse gases “To provide the thrill, we came up with the angle at which but Gensler’s remodel of the 360 Chicago interiors added San José: Richard Hammond, Christian Wolff 9,048 gallons of waste water your center of gravity tells you that you can’t stand up— another highly Instagrammable flourish. The architects São Paulo: Maureen Boyer, Luca Panhota, but not so far that it’s uncomfortable,” says Eric J. Deutsch, lightened up the 94th floor’s low, dark ceiling by installing Thais Rosa Environmental impact estimates were made vice president and head of operations at Montparnasse stretched ceiling panels around the perimeter. Its mirror Seattle: Karen Thomas using the Environmental Paper Network 56 USA. Normal mortals can lean forward about 22 to 24 finish reflects the windows and sky, creating the illusion Shanghai: Shamim Ahmadzadegan, Paper Calculator Version 3.2. FSC® is not degrees and still recover themselves. Tilt riders don’t reach of a double-height space. “Visitors are taking really Richard Chang, Tomás Contreras, Lin Jia, responsible for any calculations on saving the 45 degrees that the King of Pop could lean in his interesting photographs of their friends’ reflections and Amber Sun, Yanita Karatchorova resources by choosing this paper. patented antigravity shoes, but 30 degrees is plenty when Lake Michigan beyond them,” says Gatti. “They get these Singapore: Michael Wiener you’re high, high up. Those 75 seconds of tilt concentrate amazing angles that make people ask, ‘How did you man- Sydney: Simon Trude the mind. “People feel like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m past the point age to get that picture?’” Tokyo: Daichi Amano, Yukiko Kawazoe Washington, DC: Deanna Francl, Jordan Goldstein, Glenn MacCullough

36 dialogue 26 I Talking About Leisure & Lifestyle 37 Practice Areas Locations

Aviation & Transportation Mission Critical Abu Dhabi Detroit Morristown São Paulo Brand Design Mixed Use Atlanta Doha New York Seattle Commercial Office Building Developers Planning & Urban Design Austin Dubai Newport Beach Seoul Consulting Product Design Baltimore Hong Kong Philadelphia Shanghai Corporate Campuses Professional Services Firms Bangalore Houston Phoenix Singapore Education & Culture Retail Bangkok La Crosse Pittsburgh Sydney Entertainment Retail Centers Beijing Las Vegas Raleigh-Durham Tampa Financial Services Firms Science & Technology Boston London San Diego Tokyo Health & Wellness Sports & Recreation Charlotte Los Angeles San Francisco Toronto Hospitality Tall Buildings Chicago Mexico City San Jose Washington DC Media Workplace Dallas Miami San José Denver Minneapolis San Ramon www.gensler.com

38