Some Spaces Hit Home

Though the walls of our home offer sanctuary and comfort, connection and potential exist beyond. So, when we decide to spend time in the public realm, what draws us to some spaces over others?

When we’re crafting brands, we consider every touchpoint and interaction. This includes people’s experiences in physical spaces and how they build to a larger picture in the human mind. In putting together the right mix of opportunities and offerings, as brand designers and strategic thinkers, we need to keep our eye on the ultimate goal—creating a sense of feeling.

The Studio Payne team paused on their favourite placemaking examples across the world and why they invite people to connect on a deeper level.

Quan’s Pick
Australia | Brisbane | Long Island

Creating an iconic destination from the ground up

Successful placemaking can inspire emotion and memory.

Having been fortunate enough to work with the team at Cavcorp for almost eight years, on vision and naming, through to developing brands that span industries across wellness (TFP), pet grooming (Bowie) and everything in between. It has been a privilege to experience an evolving process moulded by global influence, culture and trends.

Meticulous detail in architecture has provided an incredible canvas—but for me, what has created true magic is the commitment to delivering innovative retail. Through the inclusion of loved, industry-leading businesses or the development of bespoke brands that meet the vision for a globally benchmarked precinct.

It has been an incredible journey to see an unwavering vision for developing quality spaces and to see those experiences materialise into a truly special destination. The results not only create emotional benefits, but also a tangible value that can be measured now and into the future.

Nicole’s Pick
Italy | Venice

Shaped by culture, navigated by instinct

Squinting to read signs better and hoping that growing up in a half-Italian household would break language barriers, being lost on the streets of Venice without internet or a map was not ideal. I was running late to meet back at the hotel, separated from my group for a last-minute souvenir. I navigated the streets, relying on my gut and a decent-at-best short-term memory, to cross from one side of the Venetian islands to the other.

Away from digital distractions, I took in my surroundings with full attention. Miraculously, my subconscious found the way home with minutes to spare. When we think of cherished memories, of places we would return to in a heartbeat, it’s often more than a well-designed spatial experience that lingers. It’s when the essence of a brand or place integrates with the space itself, inviting people to familiarise themselves on a deeper level—connecting with more than just efficiency or surface-level aesthetics. From hoarding that blends in with local architecture, signage posted and painted on walls, or new and familiar experiences at every turn—Venice celebrates and layers local culture with recognisable design cues.

Campo after campiello—small squares with shopfronts where local people converge—caught my eye. They are public sanctuaries from the streets, with layers of subtle local knowledge that felt like an extension of home.

What drives people to explore the outside world? Sometimes it’s the cultural significance and the ingrained knowledge carried through time. As a designer, I praise the experience of precincts and brand systems that effortlessly navigate people to where they want to be, and do so in a way that feels natural. Successful placemaking, to me, is when a space encourages discovery and connection to the space around—it’s when you instinctively know the way.

Bailey’s Pick
Japan | Tokyo | Golden Gai District

Thoughtful chaos

Walking around Tokyo for the first time, I was surprised at how different it was at night. Lights made each street come alive, feeling somehow busier than during the day. After aimless walking, we came across a cluster of narrow lanes in Golden Gai, Shinjuku. There we found a string of tiny bars, each able to accommodate about 10 people. Every place had a unique lightbox sign, most of them having seen better days, and the recently rained-on streets reflected a new dimension to each alley.

What makes Golden Gai so special is how each bar offers a completely different experience, its own aesthetic, genre of music, and mood. The intimacy of these spaces, combined with their limited capacity, creates a sense of exclusivity and an urge to be part of it. The uncertainty of whether a bar will have room, and not knowing who you could be sharing the space with, only elevates the energy.

Golden Gai is a perfect example of how uniquely curated spaces, each with its own identity, can come together to form a vibrant, living part of the city.

Glo’s Pick
Japan | Kyoto | Fushimi Inari Shrine

The past shapes the future

Between stepping through the thousand vermilion torii gates trailing up Mount Inari, writing wishes on wooden plaques, and pausing beside a serene garden landscape, the experience of Fushimi Inari Shrine left a mark on me—just as I, too, felt like I left a mark on the living narrative of the place.

As I transitioned from the everyday energy of the city to the quiet reverence of the shrine, the journey felt a part of something greater. The torii-lined path isn’t just visually iconic—it’s deeply participatory. Each gate was sponsored by someone with a prayer, a wish, or an offering of gratitude—turning a spiritual act into a lasting imprint on the landscape.

As you trail along the path, you don’t just observe history—you pass through it, as if experiencing a place where memory and meaning are continuously layered one after the other. 

This is what makes Fushimi Inari such a powerful example of placemaking. Beyond being a historic site or a tourist destination, you find yourself in a dynamic, evolving space that bridges personal stories with collective experiences. It’s as if the shrine invites you and asks, what’s your story? 

Nonetheless, whether you’re participating in traditional rituals, hiking to the top, purchasing a charm for good fortune, or simply capturing that iconic photo you need for Instagram—you engage in the shared act of making a place.

It isn’t always about creating something new—it’s sustaining something meaningful and showing us that great places aren’t static; they’re living, breathing reflections of people and time.