SADI

Meet the 2012 SADI Judges

A.K. Rikk’s—a men’s clothier located in Grand Rapids, Mich., with a 23-year history—was ready for a new and updated space. The resulting redesign incorporates more outside light and adds outdoor patios. It is also a redesign that allows the store to evolve. Display cases, windows, lights and other features are all adaptable. For instance, each display case and chandelier has LED lighting that can be changed to more than 3 million colors. Jurors thought the space “exuded elegance” and is an “appropriate celebration” of the region.

This year’s Grand SADI Winner, The CORE, illustrates that regional malls can still stand out in an era when they are being disparaged as relics of the past. The project, located in Calgary, Canada, was not simply a renovation. The design team was charged with uniting three disjointed properties into a single multi-use urban complex. On an architectural level, the idea was to create a seamless connection between the center’s urban exterior and high street interior.

In China’s Taiyuan, a city centered on the oil industry, which, consequently, has a predominantly male population, Shanxi Tian Mei Century Plaza targets high-end fashion for men. The center’s design vocabulary takes its cues from masculine finishes and a hospitality-based approach to shopping. RTKL Associates’ design team merged three separate buildings to create one seamless space while its interiors team designed a transition from the mall area to the department store. RTKL created a flowing space with a six-story atrium and a comprehensive graphics and signage scheme.

Macy’s City Creek was the third project to receive accolades in the department store category. Ultimately, the judges were impressed to see three “distinctive and singular” approaches for the category. With Macy’s, the jury was impressed by how FRCH Design elevated the City Creek Macy’s overall aesthetic above and beyond a typical Macy’s, bringing the look and feel of the store more in line with Bloomingdale’s. As one judge put it, “It’s really reassuring to see Macy’s putting that kind of money into their stores and reinvigorating the brand.”