Archive for the ‘Architecture & Design’ Category

The 10 Most Iconic Apple Stores

by David Bodamer October 6th, 2011

The stunning passing of Steve Jobs has led to a massive outpouring of emotion across the globe.

It’s also giving people a chance to reflect on how Apple’s innovations during Jobs’ reign have affected their industries and what visionary leadership means.

We’ll have a post up shortly recapping just how great an impact Apple has had on the retail real estate sector. It’s come in two ways–the way that Apple Stores have pointed the way forward for other retailers and how the proliferation of smartphones and tablets is altering the way people shop.

Concerning the former, it’s an opportune time to revisit what Apple has done in the 10+ years it has operated retail stores. With that in mind, here is a gallery of, in our opinion, the 10 most iconic Apple stores around the globe.

Click on the images below to reveal larger views.

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The Winners of the 2011 SADI Awards

by David Bodamer August 29th, 2011

I’m pleased to announce here the winners of Retail Traffic’s 22nd Annual Superior Achievement in Design & Imaging Awards.

The judging took place recently in New York. Overall, the jury tabbed 17 projects–seven as winners and 10 others as honorable mention recipients.

The big winner this year was FRCH Design Worldwide, which took home the Grand SADI for its design of the renovation of the Liverpool Polanco Department Store, which was the winner of the New or Renovated Department Store category. The judges felt the project was a top-notch example of an upscale department store design. The redesign freshened the concept and even though the scheme is dominated by white and black, the jurors felt it avoided feeling cold. Moreover, the theme works through the many departments with different kinds of merchandise. There’s a uniformity and flexibility to it that works throughout the complex.

FRCH also took home a second award–an honorable mention–for its concept for outdoor gear retailer Merrell. Other firms that took home multiple awards include GHA Design Studios, which was the winner for its International Currency Exchange scheme in the New Store — Less Than 5,000 square feet category and the winner for its design of Pusateri’s in the New or Renovated Supermarket category. Giorgio Borruso design, a past Grand SADI winner, won two honorable mentions in the New Store — Less Than 5,000 square feet category. And RTKL Associates, last year’s Grand SADI winner, swept the New Enclosed Center category. Its design for Mirdif City Centre in Dubai was the winner and its 360 Mall in Kuwait took home an honorable mention.

The award winners can be viewed below and a full write-up of the awards with project details will appear in the September/October issue of Retail Traffic. Full slideshows of the projects will be posted on our home page soon.

New or Renovated Department Store
Winner
Grand SADI Winner

Liverpool Polanco Department Store
Mexico City, Mexico
FRCH Design Worldwide

Liverpool Polanco (Before)

Liverpool Polanco (Before)

Liverpool Polanco (After)

Liverpool Polanco (After)

Liverpool Polanco (Before)

Liverpool Polanco (Before)

Liverpool Polanco (After)

Liverpool Polanco (After)

New Store – Less Than 5,000 sq. ft.
Winner

ICE – International Currency Exchange
Calgary, Canada
GHA Design Studios

International Currency Exchange

International Currency Exchange

New Store – Less Than 5,000 sq. ft.
Honorable Mention

Carlo Pazolini
Milan, Italy
Giorgio Borruso Design

Carlo Pazolini

Carlo Pazolini

New Store – Less Than 5,000 sq. ft.
Honorable Mention

Snaidero USA Showroom
New York
Giorgio Borruso Design

snaidero

Renovated Store – More than 5,000 sq. ft.
Honorable Mention

Cleveland Cavaliers Team Shop
Cleveland, Ohio
Herschman Architects

Cleveland Cavaliers Team Shop (Before)

Cleveland Cavaliers Team Shop (Before)

Cleveland Cavaliers Team Shop (After)

Cleveland Cavaliers Team Shop (After)

Renovated Store – More than 5,000 sq. ft.
Honorable Mention

Underground
Calgary, Alberta
Ruscio Studio, Inc.

Underground (Before)

Underground (Before)

Underground (After)

Underground (After)

New Prototype or Reinterpretation of a Prototype
Honorable Mention

Merrell
Rockford, Mich.
FRCH Design Worldwide

Merrill (Click for full image)

Merrill (Click for full image)

New or Reinterpretation of a Prototype
Honorable Mention

Nautica Outlet
Cypress, Texas
Little

Nautica Outlet

Nautica Outlet

New or Renovated Supermarket
Winner

Peqout Lakes Supervalu
Pequot Lakes, Minn.
Supervalu Store Design Services

Pequot Lakes Supervalu

Pequot Lakes Supervalu

New or Renovated Supermarket
Winner

Pusateri’s
Bayview Village, Toronto
GHA Design Studios

Pusateri's

Pusateri's

New or Renovated Supermarket
Honorable Mention

Whole Foods Market
Darien, Conn.
BL Companies Inc.

Whole Foods Market

Whole Foods Market

New Enclosed Center
Winner

Mirdif City Centre
Dubai, UAD
RTKL Associates Inc.

Mirdif City Centre

Mirdif City Centre

New Enclosed Center
Honorable Mention

360 Mall
Kuwait City, Kuwait
RTKL Associates Inc.

360 Mall

360 Mall

New Open-Air Center
Winner

Santa Monica Place
Santa Monica, Calif.
The Jerde Partnership
Omniplan

Santa Monica Place

Santa Monica Place

New Open-Air Center
Honorable Mention

The Shops of Grand River
Leeds, Ala.
CMH Architects Inc.

The Shops at Grand River

The Shops at Grand River

Renovated or Expanded Community or Power Center
Honorable Mention

South Coast Collection
Costa Mesa, Calif.
Ware Malcomb

South Coast Collection (Before)

South Coast Collection (Before)

South Coast Collection (After)

South Coast Collection (After)

Renovated or Expanded Enclosed Center
Winner

Westfield Valencia Town Center
Santa Clarita, Calif.
Westfield Inc.
Field Paoli

Westfield Valencie Town Center (Before)

Westfield Valencie Town Center (Before)

Westfield Valencia Town Center (After)

Westfield Valencia Town Center (After)

No Comments Related Topics: Architecture & Design, Commentary, News, Retail, Retail Real Estate |

How Old Navy is Getting Its Groove Back

by Elaine Misonzhnik July 12th, 2011

old_navy_super_cute_jennieGap Inc.’s Old Navy chain has undergone a bit of a transformation in recent years, most notably by following in the footsteps of other big-box operators with shrinking square footage.

That hasn’t been the only change at the stores, however. Old Navy executives point out that they’ve been able to get customers to spend $1 to $2 more per shopping trip by focusing more sharply on who the chain’s customer actually is and trying to gear the stores toward that person.

To that end, in 2008, Old Navy came up with a fictional “Jenny,” a young, busy middle-class mother. At first, Jenny was used as an internal tool to create a clear image of the chain’s customer. By now, she has become an official marketing tool, appearing in new TV ads.

Unlike the younger customers that Old Navy went after in the mid-2000s with its up-to-the-moment fashions, Jenny wants to be able to buy classic casual wear, like capri pants and t-shirts. She is looking to buy clothes for her family at affordable prices.

Jenny also wants to get in and out of the store quickly, so Old Navy’s recent remodels have involved creating a race-track layout for the stores, where Jenny could see the merchandise from the entrance to the back of the building.

And in an effort to take advantage of Jenny’s nostalgia for her 1980s childhood, Old Navy started using the check-out line as a way to hawk various 1980’s-inspired knick-knacks, like freeze-dried astronaut’s ice cream. The strategy is similar to what supermarket chains have been doing for years, by displaying tabloid magazines and candy near the cash register, so the customer buys those items on impulse while waiting in line.

So far, the new layout has proved successful enough that Gap Inc. has decided to revamp most of its Old Navy fleet to fit the new model. From 2008 through the end of 2010, the company completed remodels at about a third of its more than 1,000 Old Navy stores. This year, it will remodel another 100.

In fact, focusing on who their core customer is might be a good way for other retailers to make themselves more relevant. In recent past, many chains, including Gap, have tried to be all things to all people–a trend that many retail experts warned would lead to trouble. But differentiation might be what works best in a world saturated with retail options.

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Malls Across America

by David Bodamer April 19th, 2011

In 1989, Michael Galinsky toured malls across America and snapped pictures. He took those rolls of film and turned them into a slideshow he screened for friends. Now–more than 20 years later–he’s uploaded that online. It provides a snapshot of what the industry–and mall culture–looked like at the time.

Galinsky hopes to turn the project into a book. He’s uploaded this in part to help raise funds for the project.

As he wrote here:

I have always thought that images gain much more meaning with time. Looking at the mall slides it’s clear that their time has come. Last fall, I took them out, borrowed a scanner and loaded in about 160 of the stronger images. I posted a few on facebook and they got a great response. I started to work on putting together a book.

About 12 years ago, I published a book of rock photos called Scraps. I paired the images with short essays that friends wrote about being in bands, touring, and art in general. I wanted to do the same kind of thing with this book.

About a month ago, while waiting for the writers to write, I noticed some amazing Bruce Davidson subway photos on my brother-in-law’s facebook page. They had been linked to a site called How to be a Retronaut. I figured the site would like my mall photos. I figured right. What I didn’t realize was how the images would connect. The site didn’t bother to tell me that they had posted them, but I found out when other sites began to re-post them. In a couple of days, the photos had been shared on facebook and twitter thousands of times. In fact, they were so popular that they crashed the Retronaut site a few times.

With this campaign, I want to fund the printing of a run of books. Funders can get a book, a print, or a book and a print. I need to pre-sell 500 books to pay for this run.

No Comments Related Topics: Architecture & Design, News, Quirky, Retail Real Estate, Video |

Architecture Billings Index Hits Highest Point Since 2007

by David Bodamer January 19th, 2011

ABIDec2010

Here’s another sign that the outlook for commercial real estate is continuing to slowly improve: The AIA’s Architectural Billings Index hit its highest point since 2007. The graph is from Calculated Risk.

“On the heels of its highest mark since 2007, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) jumped more than two points in December. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine to twelve month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the December ABI score was 54.2, up from a reading of 52.0 the previous month. This score reflects an increase in demand for design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings). The new projects inquiry index was 62.6, up slightly from a mark of 61.4 in November.”

“This is more promising news that the design and construction industry is continuing to move toward a recovery,” said AIA Chief Economist, Kermit Baker, PhD, Hon. AIA. However, historically December is the most unpredictable month from a business standpoint, and therefore the most difficult month from which to interpret a trend. The coming quarter will give us a much better sense of the strength of the apparent upturn in design activity.”

MP: The New Project Inquiries Index is at the highest level since July 2007 and the Billings Index is the highest level since November 2007, so both indexes are now above their pre-recession levels.

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Inside the World’s Largest Ghost Mall

by David Bodamer January 14th, 2011

What happens when you build a giant mall and nobody comes? That’s what they’re finding out in Dongguan, China at the New South China Mall.

Bloomberg takes a look at the current largest mall in the world–which, by all accounts, has been a disaster. It’s been mostly empty since it opened and this short segment shows what the center looks like on its “busiest” day of the week and why it’s had so many issues.

We wrote about the problems at the mall and other Chinese behemoths three years ago.

Here’s what we wrote then:

The problems are manifold. Since the South China Mall is situated in a suburb, it is borderline inaccessible to the vast majority of Chinese residents who don’t have cars. (There are only 11.5 million cars owned by individuals in all of China.) To say the least, foot traffic has not been brisk. A Bloomberg News account of the property in mid-April described the mall as “almost deserted.” The property’s planners anticipated 100,000 shoppers a day would pass through the property. But a mall spokesperon acknowledged that foot traffic is currently just one-tenth that amount.

What’s more, observers say, the property has a patched together feel and violates many of the fundamentals of mall design — some laid down at the dawn of the mall era. “You see corridors with blind spots hiding tenants,” explains Ross Glickman, chairman and CEO of Urban Retail Properties in Chicago. “You see corridors ending in walls.”

With the mall struggling so much two years after its opening, some wonder if it will ever live up to the initial hype. (For its part, Dongguan San Yuan says the mall is still in a “development phase” and expects its sales performance to improve.)

Sounds like things haven’t changed. At all.

(Hat tip to Coy Davidson, who tweeted the link a few minutes a go.)

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The Best Chains on Main

by David Bodamer January 12th, 2011

chain logo med_1

Recently, I had the opportunity to serve as one of the judges for first annual ‘Best Chain on Main’ competition put together by The Commercial District Advisor (CDA) and the Local Initiative Support Corporation. The awards recognizes regional and national chain stores that pave the way for commercial revitalization. Winners were chosen based on their investment in underserved urban markets, ability to provide excellent service, maintain clean and attractive stores, storefronts and merchandise displays, and their contribution to local commercial revitalization efforts.

Today, the winners of that competition were announced..

Below you’ll find brief blurbs from CDA’s Larisa Ortiz P-Folkes about each of the five retailers honored. And in the coming weeks we’ll have an expanded slideshow at Retail Traffic in our galleries section and brief interviews with the winners on our Web site.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Mall of America Owners Want Xanadu Meadowlands (Monday’s News & Notes)

by Elaine Misonzhnik December 27th, 2010

It looks like Xanadu Meadowlands, North Jersey’s ill-fated retail/entertainment complex has finally found the right developer. Over the weekend, Triple Five Group, the owners of the Mall of America, signed a letter of intent with Xanadu’s lenders to take over the project. Given Triple Five’s experience with venues of this kind (in addition to retail, Mall of America features a movie theater complex, an amusement park and other entertainment components), this seems like a step in the right direction. For more on retail and retail real estate follow the links below:

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USGBC’s LEED for Retail and LEED Volume are Great Next Steps

by David Bodamer November 22nd, 2010

The big news in our industry from the U.S. Green Building Council at last week’s Greenbuild Conference in Chicago was the official unveiling of the LEED for Retail and LEED Volume designations.

These programs have been in the works for years as retailers and developers have helped shape the guidelines. The programs will now make it much easier for retailers to gain LEED designations. The LEED for Retail sets up standards designed for the retail sector that take into account the way retail spaces are used and how they differ from other building types. Perhaps more importantly, the volume program will enable retailers to have a design concept certified and then every subsequent store built with those specs will automatically be LEED certified without having to redo the entire LEED process.

The LEED for Retail rating system recognizes the unique design and construction needs of this market sector, enabling forward-thinking retailers to integrate green building design, construction, and operation into ground-up construction, retail interior and build-out projects. Nearly 100 national and independent retailers and franchisees, including Bank of America, Best Buy, Chipotle, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, Kohl’s, LL Bean, McDonald’s, Pizza Fusion, Starbucks and Target, have participated in the pilot program since its launch in 2007, providing valuable feedback to inform the rating system’s development.

In today’s market, savvy retailers see the value in building designing and constructing environments that enhance the customer experience, nurture a more productive employee base, while saving precious resources,: said Scot Horst, Senior Vice President of LEED, USGBC. “LEED for Retail builds on the strengths of other commercial LEED rating systems while taking special care to address the distinct needs of retail spaces, from occupancy demands to waste streams, energy and water use.”

Also launched at Greenbuild was the LEED Volume Program, a certification program that was created to streamline and make the LEED Certification process faster and more manageable for high-volume property developers such as national retailers, hospitality providers and local, state and federal governments. Utilizing a prototype-based approach, the program enables large-scale organizational builders to deliver a consistent end product, thereby earning LEED certification faster and at a lower cost than would be possible with individual building reviews.

“With a more cost-effective, streamlined process, the largest users of LEED are now able to make a larger impact on their building portfolio without compromising the technical rigor LEED has come to stand for,” continued Horst. “This program enables us to move further faster to our goals of green buildings for all within a generation.”

Our sister publication increasingly important to both landlords and tenants according to an annual Green Building Survey conducted by NREI, the U.S. Green Building Council and Retail Traffic.

It’s also key because now developers and retailers each have their own set of guidelines to work against in gaining LEED certification. Developers can work with the existing programs for New Construction, Commercial Interiors, Core & Shell and Existing Buildings: Operation & Maintenance.

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GGP Finds Candidate for CEO Post (Monday’s News & Notes)

by Elaine Misonzhnik October 25th, 2010

General Growth Properties, which is set to exit bankruptcy within the next two weeks, appears to have found a new CEO to helm the reorganized company. The REIT is said to have reached a preliminary agreement with Sandeep Mathrani, currently an executive at Vornado Realty Trust. For more stories on retail and retail real estate, follow the links below:

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