BASS PRO SHOPS, INC. ARCHITECTS BASS PRO SHOPS OUTDOOR WORLD Gurnee, Ill. In the category of New Specialty Stores (over 5,000 sq. ft.), Bass Pro Shops, Inc. Architects , Springfield, Mo., was awarded the 1999 SADI for its design of Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World in Gurnee, Ill.
The store was selected to help revitalize the 7-year-old Gurnee Mills, a development of The Mills Corp., Arlington, Va. The designers of this 125,000 sq. ft. sportsman's paradise were challenged to develop a lodge-style building capable of fulfilling the dreams of everyone who loves the great outdoors. The solution responds to the owner's needs and to the several significant site restrictions.
The front facade faces the interstate and a natural wetland. Since Outdoor World's customer is so brand oriented, the facade is covered with images and logos from traditionally important hunting and fishing vendors. In addition, the area is lined with large, tapered canopies housing boat displays and a gathering space.
Nature follows customers inside the great lodge, where high ceilings allow for mezzanine spaces and increased visibility. A 300,000-gallon, fully stocked aquarium, surrounded by images of the region's wildlife, is central to the store.
Village-style shops, each with its own character and style, were designed to complement the various product types, including the Fly Fishing Shop, the Golf Shop, the Gift Shop, the Nature Center and Uncle Buck's seminar room.
Visible from the mall entry, an old mill with a live trout pool and an authentic Amish bridge entices would-be customers. A two-story stone fireplace invites customers to relax while their families spend hours trying to decide between this rod and that rifle.
To encourage more outdoor pursuits, Outdoor World offers customers areas to try out their purchases. An all-glass archery range, a pistol range and a rifle tube are available inside, while a driving range and a casting pool encourage participation outside.
The natural colors and materials used throughout the facility lend themselves to the air of authenticity, as do the store's employees, all of whom are guides to the great outdoors.
AWARD RECIPIENT BASS PRO SHOPS, INC. ARCHITECTS
Springfield, Mo.; Tom Jowett AIA (vice president of design and development)
CLIENT: BASS PRO SHOPS
Gurnee, Ill.
Product Manufacturers/Suppliers: W.E. O'Neil Construction, Gurnee, Ill.; Active Glass, Elk Grove Village, Ill.; Aldridge Electric, Libertyville, Ill.; American Engineering, Arlington Heights, Ill.; C&H Building Specialties, Wheeling, Ill.; Calumet Flexicore Corp., Hammond, Ind.; Campanella & Sons, Wadsworth, Ill.; Carney & Co., South Elgin, Ill.; Coleman Floor Co., Rolling Meadows, Ill.; Cost of Wisconsin, Germantown, Wis.; Curran Contracting Co., Crystal Lake, Ill.; Division 10 Supplies Inc., Wood Dale, Ill.; Door Systems Inc., Itasca, Ill.; Doyle Signs Inc., Addison, Ill.; Drapemaster Inc., Chicago, Ill.; Economy Mechanical Ind., Wheeling, Ill.; Evanston Awning Co., Evanston, Ill.; Federal Rent a Fence Inc., Voorhees, N.J.; Flamingo Landscape Inc., Crystal Lake, Ill.; Howard Surveying Co., Beach Park, Ill.; Jac Masonry Inc., Antioch, Ill.; Jade Carpentry, Chicago; Kelso-Burnett, Zion, Ill.; Kingery Steel, Lansing, Ill.; LaForce Hardware, Vernon Hills, Ill.; The Levy Co., Northbrook, Ill.; Martin Cement Co., Romeoville, Ill.; Maurer Electric Co., Kenosha, Wis.; Mazur Construction Co., Countryside, Ill.; Mirza Engineering Inc., Chicago; Montgomery/Kone, Bensenville, Ill.; Mooney Material Handling, Schaumburg, Ill.; Patterned Concrete, Plainfield, Ill.; Pioneer Log Homes, Vicker, Mont.; Hans Rosenow, Elk Grove, Ill.; Ralph H. Simpson, Chicago; Schweig Co., Bensenville, Ill.; Spectrum Stone, Chicago; Spray Insulation Inc., Morton Grove, Ill.; Tiffiny Decorating, Chicago; U.S. Fire Protection Illinois, Lake Forest, Ill.; Universal Insulation Inc., Bridgeview, Ill.