DIA News 08.2019

#Designedforinsta: How Instagrammability influences Architecture

Driven by social changes, the architecture and design industry has already undergone various stages of evolution. A new, small revolution is increasingly finding its way into the everyday lives of architects and designers: The Instagrammability phenomenon. Read on to discover what Instagrammability means to us and how we are impacted from an architecture perspective.

Every architectural style has grown out of the new needs that society puts forward. A new, small revolution has long been ushered in. It doesn’t intend to match the significance of the changes that have come before it, yet is increasingly finding its way into the everyday lives of architects and designers: The Instagrammability phenomenon. It is clear just how much this trend has expanded when you consider that there is now hardly an event that doesn’t touch on Instagrammability. Various industries are also addressing this issue, with the experience-driven hospitality and retail sectors at the forefront.

Instagram: An increasingly relevant design factor in our lives

The influence of social media on our lives – especially through the photo platform Instagram – is growing significantly. The things we have experienced and seen in real life are increasingly seen in our online footprint. As a result, our actual presence in locations is increasingly merging with our own virtual world. People are shaping their lives and choosing their whereabouts according to how well they can be portrayed in social media. Looking to the future, we’re going one step further and anticipating that online impact – and especially the Instagrammability of a physical location – will significantly influence the construction and design process. Instagrammability will therefore become a true milestone in the architecture scene. That’s because these days, two seemingly contradictory worlds – online and offline – are obviously influencing each other in a whole new way.

Top left: ©victor-lozano; Bottom left: ©born_in_wroclaw ; Right: ©rodion-kutsaev

#designedforinsta

We see this development in a positive light. There’s hardly another industry that can benefit as much from the phenomenon of Instagrammability as architecture, and that’s because no other media channel relies as heavily on aesthetics as Instagram does. It’s a big advantage for designers. Generally speaking, anything can be Instagrammable: People, places, buildings, artwork, materials, moods, and everything in between. What’s important is preserving the moment in an image that, once uploaded, becomes part of the individual’s virtual world. Design for Instagram relegates the personality and attitude of the architect who created the Instagrammable moment to the background. It’s certainly a departure from the common approach to architecture. The only aspect that’s relevant is the visible result, and it has to work explicitly for Instagram.

Top: Pink Basketball Court in Rotterdam/ ©christian-fregnan; Bottom left: ©tatiana-balletti; Bottom right: ©nathan-dumlao

“Instagram is no longer ‘nice to have’ for designers; Instagrammability is no longer a random product. In the future, Instagrammability will be one of the first considerations when it comes to working out an architectural concept. In this way, Instagrammability can become a leading theme, a guiding force, a design briefing.”

Instagrammability requires skill

Instagrammability is much more than just a colorful wall that can be used for taking selfies. The Instagrammable moment must do justice to the environment, the location, and the authentic mood; it should never be overdone. It’s about creating an iconic place that’s in line with the zeitgeist and has potential to become THE hashtag. In order to become firmly established, Instagrammable places require a long service life and must not lose their luster quickly or become redundant to the community—yet another reason why Instagrammability should be deeply anchored in spatial design. When it comes to creating Instagrammable places, some rules definitely apply: The bigger the contrast, and the more foreign, colorful, and extreme a place is, the higher the level of Instagram attractiveness becomes.

Instagramability designed by DITTEL ARCHITEKTEN for Eduards/ ©DITTEL ARCHITEKTEN GMBH

Instagrammability in the construction process: What does that mean?

In the construction process, the “form follows function” motto also applies to Instagrammability. The Instagrammable spot should already be defined in the design phase. Whether it concerns a specific view or an entire building, the size of the Instagrammable space can vary depending on the project. Nowadays, entire façade designs are being specifically drawn up with Instagram in mind. Alternatively, an iconic wall in the interior may be enough to leave the desired impression. For the perfect Instagrammable moment, walkways, vantage points, and the perceptibility factor must be suitably designed. The use of strategic zones is essential in this context. It is not uncommon for these strategic zones to be precisely located in areas that are otherwise used for operations – and for the conscious decision to be made that they should be repurposed for the sake of Instagrammability. A convenient photo angle is one of the most important considerations when selecting a particular spot. Lighting arrangements play an important role here, too. In addition, specific colors and materials must be carefully selected in order to achieve the right balance of context and harmony with the rest of the concept – all while achieving the desired contrast in the process.

Top Left: City Library Stuttgart/ ©sara-kurfess; Bottom left: Notino/ ©DITTEL ARCHITEKTEN GMBH; Right: Selfridges Birmingham/ ©grant-ritchie

Instagrammability – Why we love it

Even though we can cast a critical eye on the fact that a social media tool is currently influencing architecture, we love it!

Instagrammability makes the world more colorful, communicative, and louder.

Instagrammability teaches architecture to adopt a new perspective.

Instagrammability shows us how a location can be turned into an iconic place, even through simple means.

And last but not least, Instagrammability forces us to find new design vocabularies, and to further develop ourselves beyond the familiar forms and structures of modern architecture.

In summary, we believe in the potential of Instagrammability because it makes architecture more exciting, more tangible, and maybe even a bit better. We are working on this with enthusiasm and already designing the next iconic places. Stay tuned!

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