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Reading an article on NY times,

I came across this:

Citrovia is part of a growing effort *to reimagine construction sheds as experiences created for selfies" and social media posts.

I'm struggling to understand this part: 'to reimagine construction sheds as experiences created for selfies'

Let me put it this way: if we switch the word: 'experiences' in sentence for 'place' it would make sense to me.

To reimagine as experiences seems senseless to me in this context. What would make sense is to reimagine them as 'places' created to give someone good experiences for selfies.

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    Welcome to the world of the New York Times. You are right that experiences isn't the right word there; at best, such sheds (hope to) provide experiences, or themselves are locations.
    – FeliniusRex - gone
    Commented Jul 14, 2021 at 12:51
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    You could call an art gallery or zoo an 'experience' if you were addicted to marketing-speak.
    – Michael Harvey
    Commented Jul 14, 2021 at 13:01
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    In architecture, buildings or built places provide experiences to those who live or work or visit them. It is a perfectly natural expression. The same goes for art installations.
    – Lambie
    Commented Jul 14, 2021 at 20:17

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This one is a highly context specific instance. In this case, Citrovia is an art installation piece. This type of art is meant to be walked through and enjoyed and maybe even touched.

Thus it is "experienced," instead of simply looked at or attended.

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  • Absolutely spot on.
    – Lambie
    Commented Jul 14, 2021 at 20:18
  • Sounds like you're defining "experience" (in this context) and "installation piece" as the same thing. I'm guessing that's not your intent
    – gotube ♦
    Commented Jul 14, 2021 at 21:31
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"Experience" is a recent buzzword that means "place where you can have an experience worth sharing on social media". That's to say, people will go there not necessarily to enjoy it, but to post pictures of video of themselves there to Instagram or TikTok.

This new meaning of "experience" hasn't caught on among the general public (yet) and isn't in dictionaries, but this writer is probably young and social-media-savvy with a young target audience.

Even the word "reimagine", in this context, is a buzzword that means "repurpose".

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  • In art and sculpture or installations, it is NOT a buzzword.
    – Lambie
    Commented Jul 14, 2021 at 20:17
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    @Lambie Which word? "experience" or "reimagine"?
    – gotube ♦
    Commented Jul 14, 2021 at 21:28

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