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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...

Foster + Partners converts nineteenth-century palazzo into new Apple store in Rome

2021-06-01T18:18:00-04:00

Foster + Partners and Apple have collaborated to create a new Apple store that brings a nineteenth-century site back to life in Rome. Situated on Via del Corso, one of the most vibrant streets in the city, Apple Via Del Corso restores the Palazzo Marignoli, uncovering historic features and opening up a central courtyard.

The design of the store reveals the building’s compelling and multi-layered history by unveiling painted ceilings and frescoes from the 1890s juxtaposed with modern graffiti artworks from the 1950s.

Ettore Ballerini's Dusk was restored and integrated into the new store.

Stefan Behling, Head of Studio at Foster + Partners, said: “The joy of the project was to peel back and rediscover the layers of history throughout the building and revealing its eclectic past, which ranges from the historic painted ceilings and the frescoes by Fabio Cipolla, both from the 1890s, to the more recent graffiti artworks by Afro Basaldella. Palazzo Marignoli has seen so much throughout i...

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."

Retail stores are changing. Brands call for architects to aid them during the retail revolution

2019-03-05T10:18:00-05:00

With the rise of e-commerce titans and online shopping services like Amazon, Walmart, and eBay brands have entered a precarious position in terms of satisfying consumer demand while maintaining interest within retail stores. With the rise of online availability, the need for items can be accomplished at the push of a button. However, some brands are trying to find ways to make retail stores relevant and interesting in today's consumer market. Have retail stores lost their touch? Alternatively, have they merely lost their vision of what the brand can look like offline. Online shopping is great, but when it comes to user experience, certain brands are taking matters into their own hands.

Image courtesy of March Blinch/Reuters

Apple and Nike have already made drastic attempts at focusing their attention and shifting their flagship stores into immersive spaces that offer a grander sense of connectivity with the product. User experience and interactive design go beyond flashing lights an...

What will be the fate of Jon Jerde's iconic Horton Plaza?

2019-02-22T14:31:00-05:00

Preservation advocates, including Docomomo US, have come out in strong support of retaining the site's unique postmodern elements, writing letters and urging the new owner, Civic San Deigo, the local economic development entity, and the San Diego Historical Resources Board to evaluate the project further and consider its historic significance.

To some Horton Plaza may appear to be an odd mix match of colors and structural directions, but to others, this postmodern complex is an architectural relic that should be preserved. Opening its doors in 1985, the plaza was designed as a place that would help revitalize San Diego's downtown Gaslamp area during the mid-'80s. Although its overall appearance may not have screamed the traditional shopping center look, the plaza's opening drew in over 30 million visitors in its first year alone. With the success of the plaza's engagement, this allowed for the project's architect Jon Jerde and supergraphic designers Deborah Sussman and Paul Prejza to launch their careers in shopping mall design.

Horton Plaza in San Diego, Image By Sandy Huffaker, Jr. Photography - The Jerde Partnership, Inc., CC BY 3.0

Jon Jerde, a Los Angeles based architect, was commissioned by developer Ernie Hahn to...

If you like their watches, you'll probably love their hotel: Shinola opens its first hotel in Detroit

2019-01-03T17:37:00-05:00

...the new property is not to sell products. Instead, Shinola aims for the hotel to be a place where Detroiters and out-of-town visitors can bond with each other, the city, and the brand in an organic way.

The Detroit-based watch company is a fundamental entity within the city. Founded in 2011, the humble watch company built its first factory by transforming 30,000 square feet of unused space inside Detroit's historic Argonaut Building. A brand built on quality, hard work, and the spirit of Detroit, the ambitious company sought out to create a space that would promote their community. Pushing beyond the retail space, the long-awaited Shinola Hotel opened its doors on January 2, 2019. In collaboration with Bedrock Detroit for their urban development and revitalization specialities, and Gachot Studios for their design expertise, the hotel pays homage to Detroit's rich downtown architecture.

Street Image of Woodward Ave in Detroit. Photo by Michelle & Chris Gerard

With Kraemer Design Group acting as the Architect of Record and Historical Consultant for the project, the hotel occupies five buildings along historic Woodward Ave. Two of the five buildings include the iconic Singer Buildi...

Nike is tackling more than just athletics with their new flagship stores

2018-12-04T09:56:00-05:00

Nike, the multi-billion dollar retail company has transformed the sports industry since its original debut in 1970's when they were formerly known as Blue Ribbon Sports. Today, the multinational corporation has flagship stores all over the world. As innovative as they are with their shoe and clothing brand, Nike does not hesitate to test the waters when it comes to brick and motor stores. Opening NikeTown, their first flagship store 25 years ago, their goal was to reinvent the retail space.

However, with the recent opening of their newest flagship store in New York how is Nike attempting to change the way retail stores look, feel, and most importantly affect their consumers? Heidi O'Neil, President of Nike Direct, explains what the future of retail looks like for the sport enterprise. Nike Direct, a division within Nike focuses on three elements of Nike's consumer division: e-commerce, consumer relations, and digital Nike+ products. By approaching these retail spaces by deepening t...