Public art on construction hoarding
Construction hoarding is the protective fencing that often surrounds construction sites. Hoarding generally takes up a part of the pedestrian right-of-way (such as sidewalks) and is used for the safety of workers and the public. It can also be used as a canvas for public art, community art, wayfinding or creative messaging and is an effective tool to improve the experiences for people passing by.
When construction limits visibility to local businesses and places, artwork and wayfinding on construction hoarding may help increase accessibility to those locations. The City strongly encourages the use of artwork for enhancing construction sites and improving public spaces impacted by the placement of construction hoarding.
Construction sites can often negatively affect the experiences of people in the community, especially pedestrians. Having artwork on construction hoarding is an easy way to beautify the street and reduce the negative impact of construction sites. Hoarding can also be a great canvas to showcase local artists and artworks.
Public feedback from the Public Art Master Plan and the Cultural Districts community engagement demonstrated a strong desire to integrate art on construction hoarding. A recommendation from the Cultural Districts Implementation Plan (2021) is to implement a program whereby developers install public art on construction hoarding.
Opportunity for creativity
Construction hoarding can be transformed into canvases for artwork by:
- Commissioning digital artwork from a local artist
- Integrating historical images relevant to the area where the hoarding is located
- Hiring an artist to paint directly onto the hoarding surface
- Working with a third-party design partner to create a custom hoarding
We strongly encourage large development projects to include creative construction hoarding. Get in touch with us before you begin for advice on how to integrate artwork into your overall hoarding plan. The Public Art team can help you identify what options are suitable for your site.
Please ensure that you have obtained all the permissions and permits required to put up construction hoarding on the public right-of-way.
-
Growing with my Library, Soon Cho, 2021, Central Library, Mississauga. Growing with my Library, Soon Cho, 2021, Central Library, Mississauga. -
City Builders, Wenting Li, 2018, Burnhamthorpe Road West. Photography by Sharon Mendonca. City Builders, Wenting Li, 2018, Burnhamthorpe Road West. Photography by Sharon Mendonca.
Contact
For more information, contact public.art@mississauga.ca.