Lobby Art vs. Corridor Art: Key Differences and How to Curate Each

Picture hanging looks different in every space. You wouldn’t decorate your bedroom with wall art the same way you would a classroom. The same distinction is made between lobby art and corridor art, although it can be easy to confuse one with the other. These two are quite different, if only because the lobby and the corridor are two distinct types of spaces. For one, a lobby is exclusive to establishments, whether businesses or non-commercial outfits.

The differences between lobby art and corridor art, and the significance of location in picture hanging, will be the two main points discussed in this article. Why are lobbies and corridors not interchangeable, including in the realm of picture hanging? How does each space affect its design, and in turn, the artwork dedicated to it, and vice versa? And what aspects of designing these areas determine the hanging hardware they need in a way that doesn’t apply to other interiors?

Let’s dive right in.

If a building has designated rooms, then it will have corridors. The passageways connecting these rooms, and in extension, connecting various parts of a building, are called corridors, also known as hallways. 

Their primary function is to serve as a space for people to move from one room or area to another. They’re often long and narrow, though not always, and lined on either side with doors or windows. School corridors come to mind here, the passageway outside classrooms and offices. There are also corridors in hotels, houses, apartment buildings, and high-rise office buildings.

A lobby also serves as a passageway, but its primary purpose is to serve as a space to welcome anyone entering a building or establishment. As a result, lobbies are always located at a building's entrance or on upper floors with separate reception areas. A hotel lobby is a well-known example, but there are also school lobbies and office building lobbies. 

Unlike corridors, a lobby design is typically open, spacious, furnished, and high-ceilinged. They will usually be fitted with a reception desk, seating, and may even house a cafe or bar. Because of its public and commercial function, homes do not feature a lobby; instead, they have an entryway or foyer.

Both lobbies and corridors are transitional spaces. A lobby can lead out into corridors, and vice versa. But given their distinct functions and scales, the ways each is decorated vary significantly.

Some things in picture hanging will hold true no matter the location, like using a higher-rated hanger for a 20-lb canvas art. But with most things, the process for each project is as unique as the space for it. If you have to hang a painting that weighs 150 lbs in an outdoor lounge, you would be better equipped with the light cleat 30 than the mega sawtooth hanger because the cleats are more weather-resistant.

When it comes to location, access to a space, its function, and limitations are what affect the picture hanging process the most. Access determines whether it’s publicly accessible or a private area, and how much traffic it receives—an apartment will not have the same considerations as an art gallery or a mall visited by thousands of people daily. 

Then there are high-functioning spaces like corporate offices and learning spaces. Artwork in these places will typically be displayed for educational or productivity purposes. A room’s limitations may also affect how art is displayed, such as in a small rental office, in extremely cold or humid areas, or in settings that are not stationary, like ship cabins and RV homes. All these factors count toward the enjoyment of a piece and its preservation.

In a lobby or corridor, decorative artwork can serve as an extension of a room’s architecture and the overall identity of an establishment. Both are high-traffic, but on average people spend more time in a lobby. They may be transitional areas, but it’s this very purpose that allows them to create experiences beyond transience with art. 

Lobby art is most commonly found and utilized in the lobby design of residential properties, hotels, and other hospitality establishments. In these settings, art is often part of a strategy in hospitality interior design, rather than an accessory. It’s not uncommon to walk into a hotel lobby and notice the artwork first before the architecture. They might also be in universities and schools, particularly in lobbies of colleges and administrative buildings. A lobby may even be used for a full art exhibition in educational institutions, known as an art lobby.

Decorative lobby art is characterized primarily by scale and a bespoke quality.

Scale. When it comes to lobby art, scale is two-fold, encompassing dimensions and grandeur. Lobbies tend to be large and airy, as they're places where people wait, meet others, or make inquiries. In a lobby, guests have more time to appreciate artwork on display. 

The bigger the lobby, the bigger the art should be, as a rule of thumb. But neither artwork nor the room’s size should dwarf each other—a piece should be discernible from most or all vantage points and in proportion with the space.

The level of grandeur, on the other hand, rests on an establishment’s segment in an industry and on the medium of an artwork. Lobby art in this respect can range from medium-sized to oversized canvas paintings and ceramic sculptures to handwoven textile pieces and glass art installations. 

The size and grandeur of lobby art set the tone for an establishment, help create an engaging reception, and invite guests to interact with and orient themselves in the lobby more easily.

Bespoke. Artwork can play a significant role in visually crafting and grounding an establishment's identity, as well as its character and memorability, especially in today’s social media-centered world. 

At the right scale, bespoke art leaves the right impression, whether it’s local commissions, branded creations, or interactive displays. “What’s the narrative of this property? What’s the specific location, history, or culture it wants to connect with? Where will the art be positioned, and what are the sight lines? What light will fall on it, and when? Who is the guest, and what’s the moment you want them to have?” These are the questions lobby art has the power to answer, as design company Baaya Design emphasizes.

As for corridor art, most buildings have corridors, including homes, so the question of where corridor art is displayed can depend heavily on an inhabitant’s preference and initiative. However, we might generally find the corridors or hallways of hotels, schools, and offices often decorated with pictures as hallway decor.

A corridor, especially inner corridors, acts as “an acoustic and visual buffer zone,” as MyHome Magazine puts it. As a result, the curation of lobby art is guided above all by cohesion: design cohesion and narrative cohesion.

Corridor art will often feature multiple pieces or an artistic series. They reinforce the design identity of a space and harmonize with its overarching theme. A house with a coastal interior design, for instance, can lock that motif in its corridors by curating pictures of a beach trip or illustrations of marine life. Or if an architecture firm’s office lobby welcomes you with a branded centerpiece, framed materials from the company portfolio can be spotlighted as hallway decor in the corridor. The goal is to meaningfully extend the core aesthetic to an oft-overlooked area, rather than isolate it. 

If lobby art is in charge of making a statement and a first impression, corridor art rhythmatizes your home, school, workplace, or business. You can say lobby art tends to be all about the place—the brand or organization at large, the city it is in, the cultural region it caters to; the audience is the customer and the general population. The purpose of corridor art may overlap with this, but it also holds space for individual observers in equal measure, e.g., smaller handwoven patchwork framed along a long hotel corridor as an extension of the centerpiece tapestry in the lobby.

In the right space, art can help define its purpose and character. We use lobbies and corridors as buffer zones, temporary stops. We cross a corridor to go from the bedroom to the bathroom, to go into the kitchen. We go down to the lobby to book a service or appointment, to ask for information, or to be permitted inside a building. 

But these spots are also part of our living spaces, our holiday destinations, our workplaces, and our livelihoods. Lobby art and corridor art, in their own unique ways, both enrich these day-to-day settings.

Happy hanging!