Archinect - News

China's 'ghost mall'

2013-05-14T20:15:00-04:00

The New South China Mall was once promoted as the world's biggest mall, but it's now pretty much deserted.

Staples announces they will be the first major U.S. retailer to sell 3D Printers

2013-05-03T13:33:00-04:00

Staples, the world’s largest office products company and second largest e-commerce company, today became the first major U.S. retailer to announce the availability of 3D printers. The Cube® 3D Printer from 3D Systems, a leading global provider of 3D content-to-print solutions, is immediately available on Staples.com for $1299.99 and will be available in a limited number of Staples stores by the end of June.

Apple is rumored to hire Foster to revamp its retail stores

2013-04-11T15:01:00-04:00

Sources close to the project said Foster + Partners... is helping Apple on the retail store design brief.

Bohlin Cywinski Jackson has reached out to us about an error in the cited article at Marketing Magazine...

The Regent Street and Fifth Avenue Apple Store were not designed by Eight Inc., but by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson. We also continue to have a very collaborative relationship with Apple Inc., and are fortunate to be working with their Retail Development Team on many new stores worldwide.

Apple trademarks design of its retail stores

2013-01-31T13:25:00-05:00

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted Apple's request last week for trademarks on the minimalist design and layout of its retail outlets, the office's records show. The description of the trademarks includes "a clear glass storefront surrounded by a paneled facade" and, within the store, an "oblong table with stools...set below video screens flush mounted on the back wall."

Cahier d'Exercices by Saucier + Perrotte Architectes

2013-01-10T14:58:00-05:00

Cahier d’Exercices is located at the entrance level of the historic Ross warehouse-store. The stone façade, its cast iron columns, and an expansive brick wall (punctuated with pieces of wood and metal) that runs the length of the store recall the 19th Century building’s industrial past as a retailer of large tissues, leathers and furs.

Crossing the threshold, the visitor is invited to explore the boutique by the clever use of a “degradé” — or gradient effect — on the ceiling. The colour changes gradually from a reflective, latex-like black to a pure diaphanous white, drawing visitors toward a reflective, opalescent mirror that extends the perspective of the space.

Placed at distinct intervals and delicately suspended from the ceiling, the racking system was custom designed by the architect to permit the clothing displayed to be perceived as a changing and evolving building material. Slightly reminiscent of the sculptural work of artist Fred Sandback, the straight, c...

History Honoured in German Retail Centre Revamp

2012-11-30T15:03:00-05:00

Modern retailers go to extremes to make their mark and compete within an increasingly competitive market. This often goes beyond out the box design ideals such as virtual retail or smartphone-based shopping processes.

The covert birth of Apple's next Santa Monica store

2011-12-09T13:58:00-05:00

... according to a person familiar with the plans who is bound by a nondisclosure agreement, Apple has already begun work on such a store in Santa Monica. Like the Peter Bohlin-designed Apple Store on New York's Upper West Side, it will have a tall, striking glass storefront...

The Santa Monica store episode also illustrates Apple's unusually covert way of doing business. Interviews with almost two dozen people familiar with Apple Store negotiations say the Cupertino, California, company sometimes employs uncommon legal tactics, refuses to name itself in public documents and hearings, and has sworn city government officials to secrecy.

This Starbucks cafe is made from shipping containers

2011-12-08T12:19:00-05:00

We already suspected the Starbucks of the future might be serving a whole lot of juice. Now, it looks like tomorrow’s Starbucks cafes might be rectangular and metal — and look suspiciously like shipping containers.

Apple Updating 5th Avenue Cube with New Glass Technology

2011-08-09T18:58:42-04:00

We've just discovered Apple will be updating their iconic Cube structure at their midtown Manhattan retail location, replacing the current cube of 90 panes with just 15 massive, and I mean massive, pieces of glass... The slabs will be roughly 10 feet wide by a whopping 32 feet high, and held together using some sort of secret, proprietary connector that will reportedly be embedded within the glass itself, rather than being comprised of mere external clips.

Who owns the consumer?

2011-04-29T00:03:43-04:00

The danger today comes from a shopper who walks into a store as if it were a product showroom. She pulls out a smart device and begins scanning barcodes using the Red Laser or Shopsavvy mobile app. She researches specs, prices and recommendations, and then makes a purchase from a low-cost retailer. Consumers are redefining how they shop and retailers are racing to catch up.

At the Retail Technology Conference, which happened April 13-15, retailers were coping with a new phenomenom regarding shopping habits— how smartphone-enriched shoppers are treating bricks-and-mortar retailers like galleries and museums. Macy's CEO, Terry Lundgren, says that traditional stores have to be as interesting as the online experience in the age of wireless.

This interaction of consumer with retail store, mobile phone and wireless internet is referred to as "omni-channel." But, all is not necessarily lost. Brian Kilcourse, of RSR Research, says that 95% of all retail purchases are still fulfilled through the store. Given the fast growth of "omni-channel" shoppers, there are more consumers who are increasingly knowledgeable about both price and information.

Perhaps, the most interesting and most relevant architectural tidbit is this, "retailers need to be able to understand and see into the consumer’s pathway to purchase, and this cannot be done only after a t...