By Bill Taylor
THE New York Times recently published a fascinating overview of creativity programs and innovation spaces on college campuses across the United States. The survey celebrated a complex called Cornell Tech being constructed on Roosevelt Island in New York City, an $800-million project by Cornell University modeled on the campuses of Google and Pixar. The article also described a unique living and working space at the University of Utah called Lassonde Studios, where students embrace the 24/7 innovation lifestyle of geeks in Silicon Valley and Austin, Texas.
But one of my favorite innovation initiatives was one of the simplest. Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, has reimagined an old on-campus parking garage as an incubator space for budding entrepreneurs, complete with 3D printers, interactive screens and loads of software. I have a soft spot for parking garages. One of my favorite examples is in Miami Beach, a complex called 1111 Lincoln Road.
When real-estate entrepreneur Robert Wennett bought the homely space, he decided to turn something ordinary into something extraordinary. This parking garage is truly breathtaking, and has become an in-demand venue for charity events, wine tastings, even fancy weddings. The $65-million structure features exaggerated ceilings, wide-open 360-degree views and no exterior walls—it’s more like a giant loft apartment than a claustrophobic warehouse for cars.
Victoria’s Secret did a commercial shoot at 1111 directed by Michael Bay, the action-movie legend. Moncler, the French-Italian sportswear brand, celebrated its 60th anniversary by turning the seventh floor into a winter wonderland—in Miami Beach! “What happens here on a daily basis is like a performance,” Wennett told me. “You find things in places you don’t expect to find them. You have experiences you don’t expect to have. Nothing is what you expect.”
The lesson is as direct as it is disruptive: There is no such thing as an average or old-fashioned business, just average or old-fashioned ways to do business. The thrill of breakthrough creativity can be summoned in all kinds of industries if executives and entrepreneurs are prepared to reimagine what’s possible. How are you doing ordinary things in extraordinary ways?
Bill Taylor is cofounder of Fast Company magazine. His new book, Simply Brilliant: How Great Organizations Do Ordinary Things in Extraordinary Ways, will be published in September.