Four51 Marlborough
When real estate developer The Holland Companies tasks the award-winning architecture firm Hacin + Associates with outfitting a 31,000-square-foot luxury condominium building in Boston’s historic Back Bay area, the project team knew they needed to find a modern design solution that would complement the surrounding neighborhood while celebrating the building’s storied past. Located on one of the most architecturally significant streets in the city, Four51 Marlborough’s standout feature is a mosaic interpretation by local designer and fabricator of architecturally compelling mosaics, Artaic, of a well-known Boston Harbor lithograph, cleverly paying homage to Back Bay’s historic colonial heritage.
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Installation Details
| Designer | Hacin + Associates |
|---|---|
| Client | The Holland Companies |
| Location | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Tile Type | Clear Glass, Sintered Glass |
| Application | Lobby |
| Industry | Corporate, Multi-Family |
IDEA TO IMPLEMENTATION
Envisioning a space that was evocative of 19th century Back Bay antechambers, Hacin + Associates asked Artaic to design a mural inspired by Boston’s traditional Delft tile for the lobby’s feature wall. Adopting the Dutch tile’s signature rich blue and white color palette, Artaic’s tech-savvy team reimagined the historic lithograph in mosaic form employing their proprietary robotic technology and resulting in a carefully considered art piece that is appropriately referential to the neighborhood’s historical heritage.
COLLABORATIVE DESIGN & FABRICATION
To create the mosaic, Artaic utilized its innovative design tool, Tylist™, to render a pixelated mock-up of the Boston Harbor illustration, which was then used as a roadmap for the company’s robotic manufacturing system to arrange the mosaic tiles. Through the reinterpretation of the 19th century landmark, Artaic’s mural stands as a symbol of the city’s cultural identity, marrying the ancient mosaic craft and the use of modern, digital technology.
DESIGNING WITH A PURPOSE
“The Artaic designers were helpful, responsive and thorough, and their process made for a seamless collaborative effort. The tech-savvy design team modernizes the creation of mosaics and broadens its possibilities with robotic production. We simply provided them with a source of inspiration, and they quickly transformed it into a custom-tile work of art,” says a spokesperson for Hacin + Associates.
Artaic provides remarkable mosaics for any size project, from small to large-scale production. Artaic’s Tylist™ software enables its highly skilled, in-house design team to easily collaborate with clients on the creation of modern custom mosaics. This unique manufacturing process increases design flexibility and decreases lead times and costs. Artaic is a unique and compelling resource for modern designers and architects.
