August 2006 • Observed
Collective Fantasies
What does it take to peddle a condo when money is no object?
By Martin C. Pedersen
When the history of this era is written, the near primal desire for real estate will loom large. Part of that sexy, sordid story involves the over-the-top marketing efforts used to brand product. It has become a perverse design problem: How do you distinguish your property in a rampaging market where not nearly enough people suffer sticker shock? As real estate now pauses (either to catch its breath or leap into the abyss), we take a look at some recent efforts in what may emerge as a new category for graphic design: condo collateral.
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Condominium conversion, interior design by Armani/Casa, located in a 38-story 1928 Beaux Arts building in Lower Manhattan.
Marketing vehicle: A glossy 112-page magazine, designed by dbox, with production values far exceeding the one you are holding in your hands.
Ideal reader: Young hedge-fund manager with a petulant (first) wife who considers 20 Pine The Collection a “starter home” and dreams instead of Connecticut horse farms.
Format: Real estate porn replete with beautiful women and gorgeous semifictional renderings.
Best (proposed) amenity: An “elite concierge service” entitled Quintessentially, serving tenants on the 25th floor and up
Best disclaimer: “The images reflected in this book are conceptual images and artist’s renderings, and do not constitute a representation of any aspect of the final product.”
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