This is the anodyne essence of the hotel lobby, whatever its architectural flourishes. It’s a place required to play so many roles at once—concierge and reception, conference on-ramp, family ...

The hotel’s lobby or common area is a “third place” that is often overlooked. Personally, I crave an environment where other people are working; it produces a kind of social white noise ...

Then there's the hotel lobby slash art gallery; Damian Hirst’s gold-gilded mammoth at the Faena Miami comes to mind, as does the collection of Calder and Picasso (and more) at La Colombe d'Or.