What does it take to transform a gateway station into a place where people pause in their head-down commute to connect and reflect? Riccardo Cosentino and returning co-host Corail Bourrelier Fabiani are joined by Jonathan Ring, the Development Director for London-based developer Sellar. They explore the public art programme at Paddington Square—one of the city’s most ambitious and complex redevelopment projects.

Jonathan shares how the programme evolved from the early planning conditions to the final installation. His experience highlights the balance inherent in major projects, where diverse stakeholder voices, strict timelines, and logistical constraints pile on the pressure and teamwork is non-negotiable.

Public art may be a smaller portion of the overall budget, but its impact on the public experience is profound. This episode offers an inside look at the creative and collaborative processes behind curating art in a heavily trafficked urban space. It is a conversation about leadership, legacy, and how the spaces we build shape how people feel.

Key Takeaways

• Public art may be a smaller line item, but its emotional and social impact is immense.
• The earlier you integrate public art into a project’s design and planning, the smoother the process will be.
• Stakeholder management is about more than communication; it calls for timing, trust, and making space for diverse opinions.
• Delivering complex urban infrastructure requires balancing fixed timelines with creative possibilities.
• Strong, long-term relationships with designers and collaborators make it easier to solve challenges together.
• Rotating public art programs create ongoing opportunities for re-engagement and placemaking.

Quote:

“We're ​really ​trying ​to ​create ​a ​place ​people ​want ​to ​dwell ​in ​because ​it's ​got ​very ​interesting ​areas ​around ​it. And ​the ​public ​art ​really ​formed ​a ​major ​part ​of ​that, creating ​a ​place ​where ​people ​dwell ​in. ​What's ​great ​is ​now ​seeing ​in ​the ​summer, ​and ​I ​bet ​today, ​people ​will ​be ​sitting ​out ​in ​the ​square ​enjoying ​the ​public ​realm, ​seeing ​the ​art ​and ​enjoying ​it.” - Jonathan Ring

The conversation doesn’t stop here—connect and converse with our community via LinkedIn:

• Follow Navigating Major Programmes: https://www.linkedin.com/company/navigating-major-programmes/
• Follow Riccardo Cosentino: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cosentinoriccardo/
• Read Riccardo’s latest at https://riccardocosentino.com/
• Listen to Riccardo and Corail’s public art conversation: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/public-art-installation-as-an-intrinsic-part/id1683413407
• Follow Jonathan Ring: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-ring-4284398b/
• Follow Corail Bourrelier Fabiani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/corail/

Music: "A New Tomorrow" by Chordial Music. Licensed through PremiumBeat.