Archinect - News

Kengo Kuma to design new mixed-use shopping center for Miami's Design District

2024-04-24T17:36:00-04:00

Kengo Kuma Associates has shared the announcement of a new mixed-use project in the Miami Design District.

The MIRAI Design District is a $1 billion development to be realized at 65,000 square feet with 16,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and another 40,000 square feet of high-end offices located above.

Image courtesy Kengo Kuma and Associates

The development's marketing arm describes the spaces as "each in meticulously curated, modular bays for luxury brands and trophy offices," designed to "allow each brand its own identity."

From there, a "series of micro-experiences" will define the concept, which is located at the intersection of Northeast 42nd Street and 2nd Avenue. The building's two main transparent mesh facades are angled to create a mix of shadows and greet users from different angles, while the shops underneath are serviced by a wooden soffit pedestrian walkway.

Image courtesy Kengo Kuma and Associates

The design district was also recently announced as the location...

Foster + Partners unveils latest Apple Store concept for Shanghai

2024-04-03T13:32:00-04:00

The latest Apple Store retail concept from Foster + Partners has been completed in Shanghai. The firm’s newest design for the company is located in Jing’an Park and forms the centerpiece of an urban regeneration that creates a permeable new connection between its site and the adjacent historic Jing’an Temple.

Stefan Behling, Head of Studio, Foster + Partners, describes: “We are delighted to have been given this great responsibility to create this transformative project for Shanghai. Our design reimagines the original plaza as a vibrant new public space, which provides places to sit and relax, drawing people in and respectfully enhancing the setting for the beautiful Jing’an Temple.”

Image courtesy Foster + Partners

Terraced seating placed on top of an elevated skywalk with gallery spaces gives the public a direct view of the Three Kingdoms era temple, framed by seasonal planting and Padang Light stone finishes that are repeated in the store’s walls and flooring.

Image courtesy Foste...

UNStudio completes Shanghai flagship store for Huawei behind ‘petal’ facade

2024-02-02T11:31:00-05:00

UNStudio has completed a flagship store for the Chinese communications giant Huawei in Shanghai.

Designed in collaboration with Huawei’s internal design team, the store seeks to create an “experience-rich concept that brings people, nature, and technology together and caters to consumer preferences.”

Image credit: Wen Studio

Image credit: Huawei

According to the architects, the design of the two-level store was inspired by biophilic forms that transition between indoor and outdoor conditions. Throughout the scheme’s interior and exterior, recycled materials are integrated to reduce the project’s environmental footprint, while detachable prefabricated systems are applied on floors and ceilings.

Image credit: Huawei

Image credit: Wen Studio

The building’s facade makes reference to the algorithm underscoring Huawei’s polar codes technology, with petal-like features appearing to be in different stages of growth, evolving in scale and rotation to form an “integrated geometric system that com...

NEOM unveils new Aquellum resort concept from LAVA and NAME

2024-01-18T19:10:00-05:00

The latest satellite development of Saudi Arabia’s NEOM project, a new mountainside resort destination called Aquellum, has been launched, along with other initiatives meant to promote sport, leisure, and tourism in the Gulf of Aqaba region.

The coastal development, which appears to feature the same concept for a self-styled "zero gravity urbanism" that defines The Line megacity’s internal layout, is slated to include luxury retail and hotel amenities along with art galleries and a sunken marina design, all tucked inside a 1,480-foot mountain and within traveling distance from its fellow Leyja, Epicon, and Siranna satellite resorts nearby.

Image courtesy NEOM

Guests will arrive via boat courtesy of a hidden canal entryway at the base of the development. A central 'experiential boulevard' serves as the main artery of the socially condensing courtyard space at the center of the 330-foot-tall above-ground component. A special innovation space called 'The Generator' is finally included a...

Heatherwick Studio's new Xi'an shopping district features ceramic paneling as 'sensory experience'

2023-11-20T12:16:00-05:00

Heatherwick Studio has announced their design for a new shopping center in Xi’an, China, they say will evoke the heritage of ceramics and other artistic creations endemic to the area with a completion date set for 2024.

Offering users a “sensory experience to challenge the emotional and aesthetic deprivation of online shopping,” the plan for the 1.23 million-square-foot district calls for a network of social spaces and interlocking program of mixed-scale buildings scattered throughout.

Image: MIR, courtesy of Heatherwick Studio

The design is broken down into three scales, appearing first as a green space with tapering rooflines inspired by surrounding local temples when viewed from a distance. At the street level, it will utilize a series of interlinked terraces and other landscaped spaces to offer enhanced pedestrianism and vistas of the city.

Image: Devisual, courtesy of Heatherwick Studio

The promised “sensory experience” is enacted most at the final human scale, and buildings are...

Canada's traditional shopping centers are turning into mall cities

2023-06-07T14:00:00-04:00

“It’s less about e-commerce than it is about how people want to live and what they want to experience [...] People want to connect, they want to be social, so we’re trying to give them more reasons and more opportunities to do that.”

The movement is not without its detractors, however, as planning experts like the University of British Columbia’s Dr. Penelope Gurstein balance the media’s mostly effusive coverage for such projects with criticism that they are marketed towards affluent retirees and wealthy overseas buyers whose apartments are vacant much of the year.

The government has attempted to mitigate this via a new ban on foreign property ownership. Still, most feel the industry is well-positioned to adapt, as evidenced by the 420 units of below-market-rate units that were included in the 28-acre Henriquez Partners master-planned Oakridge Park development in Vancouver.

“Ten years ago, I was expanding malls, 20 years ago I was building malls, five years ago we were talking about demolishing malls,” one developer tells the Globe and Mail. “You can’t predict the future.”

10 store designs we liked this week

2023-01-28T08:00:00-05:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Shopping Spaces.

Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles.

↑ Colvin Florist in Barcelona, Spain by ROMAN IZQUIERDO BOULDSTRIDGE; Photo: Adrià Goula

↑ Polaroid Pop-up Store in Chengdu, China; Interior Design: inkmason; Photo: One Frame Studio

↑ Moncler Shop in Gstaad, Switzerland by Küchel Architects

↑ Jiangnan Zan in Linhai, China by LYCS Architecture; Photo: WU Qingshan

↑ Yellow in Qom, Iran by The Shar Group; Photo: Sarang Farzamfar, Omid Sedighi

↑ A.P.C. Store in Los Angeles, CA by Laurent Deroo; Architect of Record: WORD; Photo: Taiyo Watanabe

↑ Uwajimaya Flagship Store Remodel in Seattle, WA by Hoshide Wanzer; Store Planning, Mechanical Engineer, Electrical Engineer,...

Alexandra Lange on the (ever)green potential of American dead malls

2022-06-08T20:20:00-04:00

Malls represent heavy investments in infrastructure, construction materials and place making that should not be discarded. The popularity of dead malls as sites for Covid testing and eventually vaccinations underlines these essential qualities: Easy road access, unencumbered indoor space, instant name recognition. Contemplating the mall’s roots in the garden is an opportunity not for picturesque nostalgia but for new solutions.

The author of the forthcoming title Meet Me by the Fountain: An Inside History of the Mall, out next week from Bloomsbury, Lange crafts a nice rundown of dead mall spaces’ possible reuses as public gardens, apartment complexes, and even health care centers in a country where more than 250 such shopping centers are expected to shutter in the next three to five years.

“Some should be demolished and returned to nature, but more should be rethought from an ecological point of view. While malls are a wasteful use of land, replacement with new stand-alone buildings with space-hogging parking lots only compounds that wastefulness […]”

Foster + Partners designs timber department store in Tokyo

2022-06-02T14:27:00-04:00

Foster + Partners has unveiled designs for a nine-story, timber-structure department store in Tokyo, presenting an elegant retail space that features several green-building practices.

Called the Shibuya Marui Department Store, the space is set to become a new showcase for sustainable lifestyle brands. Its design ensures the maximization of daylight and passive thermal comfort while using natural materials.

Image courtesy Foster + Partners

“We are delighted to be working on such a ground-breaking and sustainable project, which is a stone’s throw away from the world-famous Shibuya Crossing,” said Foster + Partners Senior Executive Partner David Summerfield. “A timber structure will significantly reduce the embodied carbon of the building, while simultaneously creating a warm and open experience for visitors.”

The department store is inspired by traditional Japanese building techniques featuring a timber structure that greatly lowers the building’s embodied carbon and offers a distinct...

IKEA completes bookcase-inspired store in Vienna, Austria

2022-05-23T10:57:00-04:00

Austria-based architecture office querkraft has completed an IKEA furniture store in the country’s capital Vienna, whose exterior was inspired by bookcases. Designed as a car-free venue, the scheme was developed with the vision of being a “good neighbor” for the surrounding community through a blend of public spaces and an active streetfront.

Photo © querkraft + christina häusler

The scheme’s defining feature is its shelf-like main façade. The 15-foot-deep zone envelops the building to provide shade for the indoors, while also accommodating terraces and greenery. In a move reminiscent of Paris’ Centre Pompidou, the external skeleton also houses infrastructural elements such as lifts, stairs, and building services.

Photo © querkraft + christina häusler

Inside, the 316,000 square foot scheme is supported by a 32x32 ft grid of reinforced concrete columns. From the ground level, a generous void extends up the building, visually linking the five retail floors occupied by IKEA. The top two...

Shopping malls are being reimagined as health care centers across the country

2022-04-14T15:11:00-04:00

The hulking Hickory Hollow Mall — a full 1.1 million square feet of retail space in southeast Nashville — was once the largest shopping center in Tennessee. But like dozens of malls, it’s been in a downward death spiral for more than a decade — despite a scrappy revival effort. Now, the mammoth complex surrounded by acres of parking is on track to join the ranks of malls making a transition into medicine.

According to a national database kept by Georgia Tech urban design professor Ellen Dunham-Jones, a total of 32 enclosed malls have shifted to housing health care services, with nearly a third established at the start of the pandemic. Covid lockdowns had a tremendous impact on brick-and-mortar retailers who were already struggling to stay afloat. As noted by Marketplace.org, the rise of telemedicine and push to outpatient procedures will make malls increasingly attractive sites for healthcare services.

In addition, some disused malls are located in diverse neighborhoods that are in need of increased access to healthcare. Malls can also offer more convenient access compared to traditional hospitals as they’re equipped with large amounts of parking spots and are near major highways and interstates.

17 featured job opportunities for architectural designers in retail design

2021-10-14T13:40:00-04:00

Retail design has gone through plenty of changes over the years. From exciting storefronts to immersive experiential designs, architects and designers have helped reshape design possibilities for retail. But, beyond the looming fear of the retail apocalypse, the pandemic has added another level of much-needed design innovation and re-evaluation.

Even though e-commerce platforms have become the dominant avenue for retailers around the globe, many businesses are still turning to architects to help reshape the potential future of retail. For this week's curated jobs round-up, we focus on nine firms specializing in retail and high-end retail projects.

Image courtesy of Heitler Houston Architects

Heitler Houstoun Architects seeks a Retail Project Architect/Manager
Location: New York, NY

Details: "HHA is seeking experienced Retail Project Managers/Project Architects with 6 -10 years of professional Architecture experience (5-year B. Arch or M. Arch) in the fields of health, wellness, appar...

OMA reveals first quadrant of redesigned KaDeWe department store in Berlin

2021-10-09T09:00:00-04:00

The important first section of OMA’s redesigned master plan for the famed Berlin department store Kaufhaus des Westens (or KaDeWe) has officially opened to the public this week after a five-year renovation effort.

Organized into quadrants, the reorganized mass introduces a smaller area plan with improved accessibility and more wayfinding. OMA is hoping to address the changes in consumer spending as well as the rise of online retail known as a threat to traditional brick-and-mortar establishments.

Photograph by Marco Cappelletti, Courtesy of OMA.

“The renovation of the KaDeWe aims to redefine the dynamics between retail space, its patrons, and the urban environment, in a time when e-commerce is reshaping our relation with in-person shopping,” OMA partner Ellen van Loon offered. “The project reinterprets the fundamental elements of a typology that has remained virtually unchanged for more than 100 years.”

Photograph by Marco Cappelletti, Courtesy of OMA.

Consisting of a concentric void...

Starbucks is seeking a caffeine-savvy designer for their China stores

2021-09-27T10:57:00-04:00

In the retail and commercial sectors, the architect’s brief is often driven by a need to offer flexible layouts to suit a variety of potential tenants. This emphasis on flexibility is for good reason, allowing a single unit to accommodate a wide portfolio of businesses without the need for expensive, environmentally damaging adaptions. However, an emphasis on standardized elements, from light and ventilation levels to waste, servicing, and delivery strategies, can also remove architects from the equally important and intriguing process of designing for a specific brand, with a unique customer experience.

Today, global retailers such as IKEA and Apple have become famous not only for their products, but for the manner in which those products are presented to potential customers. For IKEA, this means bringing customers on a choreographed journey through their showrooms, one which has even inspired viral hide-and-seek challenges. Apple, meanwhile, is famous for their collaborations with...

Nike's Jordan Brand is looking for a Global Retail Designer to help create the future of retail design

2021-08-18T15:08:00-04:00

Even before the pandemic, brands like Nike were pushing for innovative ways to engage with customers and reinvigorate their retail stores. With destinations like the Nike Shanghai House of Innovation and Nike Soho storefront, fans of the beloved brand went for the shoes and stayed for the experience. As fashion and retail businesses look to expand their approaches to retail design, Nike is searching for a new crop of designers to help imagine the future of retail.

As part of Archinect's job highlights series, we recently showcased an opportunity to work as a Project Designer for a firm specializing in living walls and green roofs. This week, we're profiling the Nike/Jordan Brand as they search for a Global Retail Designer.

Nike Shanghai House of Innovation Image © Nike

The position is located in Portland, Oregon near Nike's World Headquarters. This job is ideal for a design professional who is not only passionate about the brand but someone with "diverse experience, problem-solving a...

Snøhetta designs library-inspired pop-up store for reMarkable

2021-05-20T16:24:00-04:00

Snøhetta has designed a new type of retail experience or “a better place to think” in collaboration with Norwegian tech company reMarkable, whose next-generation paper tablet was named one of the best inventions of 2020 by Time Magazine. Responding to the rise and proliferation of online retail, Snøhetta has met the need of consumers who want to see and experience products physically. In the store, reMarkable’s acclaimed tablet can be used in an environment cultivated to truly experience the product.

The pop-up store was opened in December 2020 and sits in the middle of Oslo’s central fashion district in Øvre Slottsgate. The opening was a bold move during the pandemic, manifesting the significance of providing holistic retail experiences.

Snøhetta’s design for reMarkable. Photo by Calle Huth

“Although consumers are becoming increasingly digital in their shopping habits, especially during the pandemic, we see the value of letting our customers experience that wow moment of writing o...

Amazon is buying up dead malls–adaptive reuse, or just eating its prey?

2021-04-12T14:30:00-04:00

Amazon continues to makes headlines with its labor issues, workers' rights, and headquarters expansion. However, that hasn't stopped the multi-billion-dollar company from growing, for better or for worse. A recent news report from NBC News shared Amazon's moves towards purchasing empty shopping malls into new fulfillment centers. According to Leticia Miranda, "Malls that buckled due to e-commerce or suffered during the pandemic are being given new life by the very entity that precipitated their decline — Amazon."

Macy’s, 2018. Image © Jesse Rieser

From 2016 thru 2019, Amazon's abandoned mall transformations have resulted in 25 converted shopping malls to fulfillment centers. As malls and big box stores continue to experience the ongoing "retail apocalypse," mall owners needed to pivot and adapt. In July 2020, Archinect briefly dove into mall typology and the "the post-mall future of American commercial architecture." COVID-19 may have been the final nail in the coffin for most strugg...

Brooklyn-based Almost Studio designs 1,500 sf boutique for fashion designer Sandy Liang

2021-01-14T12:24:00-05:00

Brooklyn-based architectural firm Almost Studio has designed the 1,500-square-foot flagship boutique for the popular emerging fashion designer Sandy Liang. It is due to open in December of this year.

The space sits on the ground level of a five-story brick building built in 1900 and was previously occupied by a laundromat. Almost Studio patched and sealed the original concrete floor, replaced the ceiling for new HVAC, and framed the glass storefront with stainless steel, introducing a fresh feel to the long linear retail space.

Almost Studio co-founder Anthony Gagliardi explained, in a statement, the team's primary design challenge was to "generate a spatial logic that allowed the store to feel cohesive, while also inserting an enfilade of individualized areas within the irregular and narrow space."

Upon entry, visitors are greeted by the boutique's shopping area, which stretches roughly 60-feet in length. Next comes the point of sale, then dressing rooms and bathrooms, and finally ...

U.S. retailers decrease construction spending

2020-12-02T11:32:00-05:00

An analysis of the 10 retail chains that spend the most on construction shows that seven experienced declines in construction spending in the first nine months of 2020 compared to the first nine months last year. Only three of the 10 — Publix, AutoZone and Dollar Tree — increased construction spending...

The findings come from the Dodge Data & Analytics 2021 Construction Outlook, as reported by Construction Dive. According to the report, the retailers' reduced spending comes from a "move away from brick-and-mortar retail that has been ongoing for years but accelerated br the pandemic."

Last Blockbuster on Earth recreates a 90s living room for Airbnb sleepovers

2020-08-13T15:12:00-04:00

The last remaining Blockbuster video rental store in the world is now available for sleepovers. Hosted by Airbnb, residents of Deschutes County can book one of the three available nights at the storesleep over. According to The Oregonian, a household of up to four people will have free rein of the store's entire film collection plus free pizza, Pepsi, and popcorn.

The store has recreated a 1990's living room with a "hide-a-bed" sofa, bean bag chair, and a Sony VHS player, reports The Oregonian. The store crew will be abiding by CDC guidelines and Airbnb's enhanced cleaning procedures.

A documentary was recently released about the store called The Last Blockbuster, created by Oregon filmmakers Taylor Morden and Zeke Kamm.

Louis Vuitton's London flagship reopens as a Peter Marino-designed spectacle

2019-10-24T15:51:00-04:00

Reopening after a 14-month makeover, the renovated store is a multi-storey expo fitted with the work of [...] artists, which – unlike those collections, and art you'd find in a concept store – is intended to be viewed, rather than purchased.

Photo: Stephane Muratet, courtesy Louis Vuitton

Elle's Sara McAlpine on the rise of 'The Spectacle Store' among luxury retailers and how Louis Vuitton's newly reopened London flagship fits right in.

"The face of retail changes so fast," Peter Marino, whose New York-based firm was in charge of the lengthy makeover, tells Elle, adding, "It’s very much a necessity for [brands] to have these big special statements in key landmark locations."

Photo: Stephane Muratet, courtesy Louis Vuitton

The Louis Vuitton London Maison on New Bond Street reopened today after undergoing 14 months of renovation to "reveal a complete reimagining of the space, featuring a sweeping double helix shaped staircase crafted in cerused oak and worked as a sculpture with an offset centre."

Photo: Stephane Muratet, courtesy Louis Vuitton

There are 43 artworks throughout the store — from 25 artists including site-specific commissions from Sarah Crowner, Jim Lambie, Josh Sperling, Farhad Moshiri, and Matt Gagnon — as ...

Don't believe the hype: Brick-and-mortar retail is here to stay

2019-09-24T19:30:00-04:00

The hypothetical Retail Apocalypse should be supported by a decline in the total retail establishments, but that's not the case. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported 1,044,509 establishments for 2018, for a net gain of 2,413 establishments over 2017 (1,042,096). The 2018 figure also represents a net gain of more than 20,800 establishments since a retail trough in 2011, a low point resulting from the Great Recession.

Sharon Woods, CEO of real estate consultant group LandUseUSA, writes in Public Square, a journal produced by the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) presents an opposing, data-driven view of the future of America's retail landscape.

Woods writes, "The future for brick-and-mortar retail is far less bleak than the scene painted by mainstream media. Although e-commerce is taking a larger share of the pie, brick-n-mortar and physical store sales are also continuing to grow. Most of the chain store closures are limited to certain segments of retail—particularly department stores anchors and apparel tenants of sprawling regional malls and strip centers."

As the chart above notes, much of the retail growth is taking place in chain restaurants, CVS HealthHUB stores, and dollar stores like Dollar Tree and Dollar General.

Can nostalgia preserve the legacy of retail spaces in America?

2019-09-03T12:40:00-04:00

Architecture and nostalgia share a special relationship. Designs trends and building techniques that thrived during their heyday may not receive the same response decades later. However, one must not underestimate the following of these seemingly "outdated" designs. As the world continues to transition into a hyper-digital world, can nostalgia save the livelihood of retail shops and of retail design overall?

Kelsey Lawrence of The New York Times recently wrote an article addressing the public's attempt to preserve and cherish the quickly vanishing presence of retail spaces and big-box stores. According to Lawrence, forums and private discussion groups on Reddit and Facebook have attempted to catalog and archive these fading brick-and-mortar spaces. In addition to highlighting curated images and stories, forums like "Off the Rack" on Facebook and "r/RetailNews" on Reddit also present a display of forgotten or dwindling existences of big-box retailers, fast food restaurants, and other...

Is the "retail apocalypse" overblown?

2019-08-13T14:00:00-04:00

The Department of City Planning studied commercial corridors in 24 neighborhoods across the five boroughs and concluded that while shuttered storefronts plague some of the city's richest and poorest areas, the phenomenon is far from a pandemic. "There is no single dominant trend in retail in New York City," the survey asserts. "Data did not indicate a pervasive vacancy problem across the city, but did identify a number of high-vacancy corridors."

Shopping just isn't what it used to be

2019-08-08T18:00:00-04:00

During the 1970s and ’80s, the sophisticated shopping experience was not branded in efficiency or self-denial or schemes devised in investment banks. Dean & DeLuca was itself a work of art. This was also true of Barneys, another institution born of the ethos that shopping was an act of self-actualization. Now both institutions find themselves in financial free-fall.

Ginia Bellafante of The New York Times pens a sombre remembrance for the gold old days of shopping, when "demand was not so obviously engineered," and purchasing life's necessities constituted a social act.

The missive is inspired by the recent financial collapse of high-end grocer Dean & DeLuca and the fashion brand Barneys, two design-forward, trail-blazing New York City institutions that have fallen pray to contemporary economic pressures. The changing nature of shopping and the effects of those shifts on so-called "shopping architecture" are a significant and important element of contemporary life.

Bellafante laments, for example, "Despite these abiding economic truths, it is also true that the city that produced a retail culture focused on discovery and experimentation has become a place with Amazon boxes on the stoop of every brownstone," adding, "We have allowed our habits to become so effectively manipulated toward convenience that is hard to imagine appreciating idiosyncr...

Are college campuses becoming the new malls of the 21st century?

2019-08-07T09:07:00-04:00

Chain retailers have their eyes on a new type of mall — your university. While higher education may once have been associated with the ivory tower — a secluded place of rigorous study — now companies like Target, Trader Joe’s, Urban Outfitters, and Publix are opening stores on or near college campuses, chasing students who are setting up shopping habits that could last a lifetime.

In an insightful Buzzfeed News article, Leticia Miranda explains why a large number of college campuses are becoming the new rulers of chain retailers. Although college is typically a time for young adults to pursue a higher level of academia, another type of "skill" may be unraveling, the need to shop. Institutions, specifically in the U.S., are keeping tabs on this trend and are learning to capitalize on transforming their campuses and surrounding areas into retail hubs.

Buzzfeed spoke with the executive vice president of the retail brokerage firm Metro Commercial Kathy Sawin. According to Sawin, "It gives the colleges a competitive edge when they have a vibrant retail strip or area around their campus." Several retail chains are targeting this demographic and stocking their stores with college essentials that will keep each new incoming class satisfied.

Tim Eklund VP of Target's small-format stores told Buzzfeed, "We're offering an experience...

A democratic presidential candidate is pitching to save "dead malls"

2019-07-09T13:31:00-04:00

Entrepreneur and presidential hopeful Andrew Yang has a new policy proposal that promises to set him apart in the crowded Democratic field. He hopes to address an issue affecting the economic vitality of communities all across the country. Yang wants to save the malls. According to his campaign, some 300 malls will fold over the next 4 years, a number in line with an estimate by Credit Suisse that one-quarter of all malls will close by 2022.

In the U.S., the presidential race has already begun with potential candidates showcasing their intended policies and platforms to the American people. Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang has created a growing following due to his stance on universal base income and approaching politics with "human-centered capitalism." In learning this, it is no wonder Yang has turned his efforts towards saving dying malls as a means to revive the economy of local communities.

Yang's goal is to implement the American Mall Act. According to a recent CityLab piece by Kriston Capps, the plan is to "devote $6 billion to find new purposes for these dying retail complexes." Yang made this announcement on July 4th weekend in a video as a response to Palmetto State voters and their experience of the retail apocalypse. In his video, Yang expresses the reality of mall upkeep and points out, "it's a massive challenge to try t...

Virgil Abloh's take on the future of retail design could be another stepping stone for Nike

2019-06-03T12:51:00-04:00

Called the NikeLab Chicago Re-Creation Center, the space feels like being inside a giant Nike shoebox designed by Abloh himself. It features the self-aware, over-indexed print labeling that Abloh is known for. The Re-Creation Center sign itself has “for promotional use only” printed on top. The rest of the space’s irony is more subtle, or arguably nonexistent.

Virgil Abloh is a name that's grown synonymous with what is trending in design and fashion. A connoisseur of creating new things from the simplest of concepts, Abloh's collaboration with Nike has emphasized his influence not only in design but in design culture. Having worked with some of the biggest names in fashion, the arts, and sports, it's not hard to imagine Abloh's dive into retail design.

Nike's new Re-Creation store in Chicago focuses on the celebration of merging sustainability with experiential design. With online shoppingtaking over the consumer market brands like Nike have teamed with architects and influential designs like Abloh to take a new and improved approach to the concept of retail design.

From the walls to the chairs in the space, the concept of "re-creation" is all around the store. The walls of the store are lined with shoeboxes and the other pieces in the store are made from "Grind," a material Nike coined which consists of ...

How to Determine How Many LED Lumens You'll Need to Properly Light Your Space

2019-05-06T12:30:00-04:00

This post is brought to you by Alcon Lighting

Here’s how to determine how many LED Lumens you’ll need to properly light your space.

How much light is enough light? The question is difficult enough but when faced with having to calculate how much LED lighting you need to create a well lit space, it can become a bit more complicated.

Key Terms

Lumens
A measurement of light emitted by a source, whether it’s LED, Fluorescent, Halogen, or Incandescent. This is also known as “brightness” or “light output.” Your reference point: A standard 100-watt incandescent light bulb produces about 1,500 – 1,700 lumens.

Watts
Not a measure of brightness; instead, it’s a measure of how much electricity (or energy) a bulb consumes to reach its claimed brightness. Each type of light source, LED, Fluorescent, Halogen, or Incandescent has a different lumen-per-watt ratio. Below we’re going to use lumens as a measurement to make sure we have enough light for a space.

Wattage Equivalence
Since we’ve conf...

Amazon's new pop-up strategy draws attention to the changing retail environment

2019-03-08T15:28:00-05:00

Amazon, the giant online retailer, is closing all 87 of its U.S. pop-up kiosks, which let customers try and buy gadgets such as smart speakers and tablets in malls, Kohl's department stores, and Whole Foods groceries. It's the latest change in Amazon's bricks-and-mortar retail strategy, which includes bookstores, grocery stores, and cashier-less stores.

Amazon has been a frequent headliner in the news as they prepare for headquarter expansions and retail store changes. However, despite its popularity and rapid consumer fulfillment process, Amazon has decided to discontinue its pop-up kiosk program. A spokesperson from Amazon shared that the decision was based on "creating thoughtful decisions on how to better serve their customers." In place of the pop-up kiosks, the company has expressed its focus on expanding Amazon Books and Amazon 4-star stores. This transition in retail strategy will allow Amazon to focus on a broader selection of products while putting more attention towards customer experience.

Amazon opened its first bookstore in Seattle’s University Village in 2015; Photo courtesy of GeekWire - Image © Taylor Soper)

Amazon 4-star stores appeared on the scene in 2018 at its first retail location in New York. Promotions for the store highlighted curated products across various cate...