Surface Of Beauty for Monarch Market

WXLLSPACE delivered a vibrant biophilic mural for Crescent Communities' Monarch Market food hall in Charlotte, North Carolina. Artist Natasha May Platt transformed a dated parking structure wall at 601 S. Tryon Street into a floral masterpiece featuring flowing ribbon-like forms on a dark charcoal background. The project moved from initial artist vetting in March 2023 to completion in May 2023, and subsequently evolved into a branded merchandise collaboration including custom silk scarves and glassware for the property's marketing launch. The mural established a distinctive street presence along N. Church Street while leveraging the artist's textile design background to extend the visual identity beyond the wall.

Crescent Communities faced a common challenge in large mixed-use development: activating a raw, utilitarian infrastructure asset—in this case, a dated parking garage wall—in a way that communicated intentional design and elevated the overall property experience.

The core complications:

• A dated concrete wall with significant wear and surface degradation required substantial prep work before artwork could be applied
• The food hall's grand opening required a compressed timeline from artist selection through installation completion
• Site logistics required coordination across an active urban location during construction completion phases
• The team needed an artist whose work could extend beyond the mural wall to support the property's broader marketing and merchandise strategy

Site and Surface Conditions

‍The parking structure wall was raw concrete with significant weathering, requiring full pressure washing and dark base coat painting before the artist could begin work. The surface condition was a critical constraint that extended the pre-install timeline and required coordination between Crescent Communities' operations team and the artist to ensure proper substrate preparation.

Timeline Compression

‍The project moved from initial artist portfolio review in late March through design approval by March 31, 2023, to installation in April and completion by early May 2023. This compressed timeline left limited room for design revision rounds or supply chain delays.

Site Coordination

‍Monarch Market is an active urban food hall with ongoing construction, leasing activity, and public access. Installation required coordination with building operations, general contractors, and active food service tenants to minimize disruption.

Design Direction and Revision

‍The initial concept centered on vegetable-themed imagery. Feedback from stakeholders indicated that a flower-focused design would have higher visual impact and better align with the biophilic design intent. This revision required artist flexibility and rapid design turnaround.

March 22-23, 2023: Artist Vetting and Selection

‍WXLLSPACE reviewed multiple artist portfolios from the platform against Crescent Communities' brief, narrowing the field from candidates including Katherin Ward, Fert.One, and DAAS to Natasha May Platt. The selection prioritized Platt's painterly style, her background as a textile designer (for potential merchandise extension), and her work's alignment with biophilic design principles.

March 30, 2023: Design Engagement

‍Design development began immediately following artist selection. Natasha May Platt initiated concept sketches centered on the initial vegetable-themed direction requested by stakeholders.

March 31, 2023: Design Approval and Concept Revision

‍Stakeholder feedback indicated a preference for flower-focused imagery over vegetables for higher visual impact. The design pivoted to flowing, ribbon-like floral patterns on a dark charcoal background. This revised concept was approved for production.

April 2023: Pre-Install Coordination

‍Crescent Communities' operations team, in coordination with JLL facility management, executed pressure washing and dark base coat painting of the parking structure wall. This pre-work ensured a clean, primed surface ready for the artist's application.

April-Early May 2023: Installation

‍Natasha May Platt executed the mural installation during the April-May window. The compressed timeline required single-phase execution with minimal revision cycles post-start.

May 2023: Project Completion

‍The mural was completed and ready for marketing launch prior to Monarch Market's grand opening activities. The project was featured as a transformation story in WXLLSPACE communications on May 24, 2023.

July-August 2023: Merchandise Collaboration

‍Following successful mural completion, the project evolved into a secondary phase. Natasha May Platt leveraged her textile design background to create branded merchandise for Crescent Communities, including custom silk scarves featuring the mural's floral motifs. A design fee of $3,000 was approved for this additional artwork development. The merchandise was intended to serve as premium gifts for the food hall's soft opening and marketing events.

Installation Window: April-Early May 2023

Artist: Natasha May Platt (Surface Of Beauty)

Wall Location: Exterior parking deck wall, N. Church Street, 601 S. Tryon Street

Surface Condition: Raw concrete, pre-treated with pressure washing and dark charcoal base coat by property operations team

Design Elements: Biophilic floral design featuring flowing ribbon-like forms and vibrant flora on dark charcoal background

Application Methods: Unknown

Merchandise Collaboration (Post-Installation):

• Deliverables: Silk scarves with floral motif, glassware prints
• Rationale: Leveraged artist's textile design background to extend visual identity beyond wall installation for property marketing

Site and Surface Conditions

‍The parking structure wall was raw concrete with significant weathering, requiring full pressure washing and dark base coat painting before the artist could begin work. The surface condition was a critical constraint that extended the pre-install timeline and required coordination between Crescent Communities' operations team and the artist to ensure proper substrate preparation.

Timeline Compression

‍The project moved from initial artist portfolio review in late March through design approval by March 31, 2023, to installation in April and completion by early May 2023. This compressed timeline left limited room for design revision rounds or supply chain delays.

Site Coordination

‍Monarch Market is an active urban food hall with ongoing construction, leasing activity, and public access. Installation required coordination with building operations, general contractors, and active food service tenants to minimize disruption.

Design Direction and Revision

‍The initial concept centered on vegetable-themed imagery. Feedback from stakeholders indicated that a flower-focused design would have higher visual impact and better align with the biophilic design intent. This revision required artist flexibility and rapid design turnaround.