Is all publicity good publicity? How Architects can turn criticism into opportunity
In case you missed the news that had the Brisbane community buzzing, the Queensland Performing Arts Centre's new theatre will be delayed for another year. The reasons cited? "The glass facade, major flooding, several contractor insolvencies, bad weather and global supply chain issues."
While the article doesn't explicitly blame the architects involved, articles like this can be a little bit scary for any architect involved in a project of this scale. It tends to paint them as people who design impossible buildings. But actually, it's often those “impossible buildings” that shape our cities and the landscape of design expertise in Australia.
So how do you deal with an article like this when you don't want it to negatively impact your reputation? It's one of the greatest fears I see when architects put their work out into the world, particularly while their projects are under construction. Because – rightly or wrongly so – they’re nervous about how it will be perceived, and they want to say as little as possible so as not to compromise anyone’s reputation.
What often happens when an article like this pops up, though, is that everyone wants to move as far away from the project as possible, rather than talking about it. This leads to gossip and speculation – and that is exactly how good reputations can be lost.
There are two options when you’re in this situation:
1. You bury your head in the sand, deflect any comments that come your way, and hope people lose interest soon; or
2. You embrace it and turn it into an opportunity
I always opt for the second option.
While you may not have control over what the media says about your work, you can control your own messaging through content marketing. Keep in mind that the reason people have these doubts, is because no one has told them any different, so we need to give them the right message. Seek out the gossip, the questions, and the doubts the community has – these are content gold.
Responding to their questions using content such as articles, videos, images, drawings (the list goes on!) will create an informed audience who can rebuild trust with you. It’s your opportunity to turn the conversation around. Some examples:
Why does the façade take so long to install? Create content that talks to the design of the façade, the engineering, and the installation including the intricacies at each stage that impact the end result
Why does the façade need to be curved? Show how the design was to reflect the “serpentine shape of the Brisbane River”, as well as the structural elements that go into it, including the curved and straight glass that makes up the 2400m2 length of the façade
Why do we even need a new theatre, anyway? Show a high level view of the site and its impact to completing the performing arts precinct, and how it will benefit the people of Brisbane and its visitors
When you create an informed audience, they will not only come to understand the value of what they’re looking at, but also why it is taking the time it is – and then they tend to tell their friends and colleagues and the good message spreads. It comes down to taking a proactive and consistent approach to creating content that emphasises your expertise, the value of good design, and its impact on the community. And that’s a message you can be proud of.
👉 Read the original article on Brisbane Times