MIPIM, Cannes, 2025
Sophie O’Sullivan | Senior Researcher, Woven Spaces
From smart material choices to new directions in the flex office market, the event captured a rapidly evolving real estate industry.
Highlights from the week included:
• Adriana Paice Kent, our Chief Executive here at Woven Spaces, speaking at the Oman Opportunities Pavilion on the role of culture and heritage in driving investment. Her presentation explored how these elements can command up to a 25% premium, reinforcing the commercial value of design that is rooted in context and identity.
• Connecting with Sophie Goff and Benjamin O’Connor of New London Architecture (NLA) at The London Stand, where discussions centred on the resilience of London as a global hub and its potential for innovation-led growth.
• A filmed interview with Claire Dumontier-Marriage of Eastern City BID on the Promenade Favre le Bret, where our in-house Senior Researcher Sophie O’Sullivan shared perspectives on London’s evolving real estate landscape and the role of creative regeneration.
“Culture drives identity and identity transforms a space into a place. It is critical that we harness the potential of culture and heritage in how we shape spaces. As an artist, I was often invited to engage with existing development and find ways of unlocking the culture and context of that building. As a developer, I am now bringing that thinking into the vision for the reimagining of an existing asset. Culture is woven into every single touch point a user will have when they experience a site. It is integral to driving success.”
Adriana Paice Kent, Chief Executive, Woven Spaces
• A fantastic collaboration with the team at ING Media, who supported Woven Spaces across media outreach and strategic partnerships. Special thanks to Jiyoung Jo, Dominic Morgan, Hannah Beer, Tamara Salloum, and Finn Walsh for their insight and energy throughout the week.
“What we’re seeing in London’s office market is a real convergence of creativity and commerce. It’s a process of weaving meaningful design thinking into the city’s fabric— reimagining workplaces that inspire connection and innovation.”
Sophie O’Sullivan, Senior Researcher, Woven Spaces
• And finally, moments of reflection (and movement) during early morning runs along Boulevard de la Croisette, taking in the local sites while processing the energy and ideas of the day.
“Restoration and wellbeing is so critical to how we experience cities. Urban activations act like acupuncture, releasing energy at different moments to different communities. I think that is where culture can really come to play, to unlock potential and value. It’s about creating spaces that respond to and reflect the people that use them. Spaces that are generous in their thinking.”
Adriana Paice Kent, Chief Executive, Woven Spaces
Our Chief Executive, Adriana Paice Kent, speaking on leveraging culture and heritage to drive investment at the Oman Pavilion Stand at MIPIM 2024. She is joined by Hisham Al-Zubaidi of Oman Ministry of Housing & Urban Planning and Kate Hart of Eastern City BID.
“How you develop – be it an entire city or a single asset – is so critical because then it allows you to invite others to come in, come onboard, to engage with it in an effective way and deliver a result that perhaps short-circuits everyone’s expectations of what is possible. But it has to come from that core understanding of the vision. This drives value. And culture and heritage are critical to that conversation. I hope more countries consider this approach in how they shape spaces- whether it’s a city, a building or an office floor plate.“
Adriana Paice Kent, Chief Executive, Woven Spaces
The insights and connections shared over the week will continue to inform and inspire our work ahead — as Woven Spaces looks to shape the next generation of distinctive, commercially resilient destinations.
We look forward to following up on these exciting new connections when we get back to London.