Bass Pro Shops Sportsman's Center Miami
Bass Pro Shops are beautiful, but often feel the same. In recent years, though, the company has taken care to play off local design and themes to personalize its stores. In Miami, that translated into making a store that represented the Sucre, a 237-foot sunken German freighter.
Center on Halstead
Bond Cos.' project in Chicago gives new meaning to “community center” by blending a sleek Whole Foods Market with a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community center in a 175,000-square-foot project.
Zlote Tarasy
The Jerde Partnership is famous for its amazing retail environments. Judges this year, however, felt Zlote Tarasy in Warsaw, Poland, while impressive, did not quite live up to Jerde's own previous lofty standards. In part, the panel questioned the project's success in showcasing its retail tenants in balance with its other elements. Its undulating glass roof is astounding and a remarkable achievement. But in the end, judges could not decide whether it helps or hinders the retail elements that sit below it.
Neiman Marcus
Elkus Manfredi's Frank Gehryesque facade to Neiman Marcus at the Natick Collection in Natick, Mass., is a stunning break from your typical department store facade. The project fell just short of recognition, however, because it was unclear if or how the champagne, bronze and silver-colored ribbon-like front influenced the interior design. It is an amazing design element, but the judges questioned the link to the store.