Now in their 24th year, the Superior Achievement in Design and Imaging (SADI) Awards are an exercise in recognizing outstanding achievements in the retail real estate sector. This year, 11 projects made the cut. Five won their categories outright and six others took home honorable mention merits.
Individual stores and retail real estate environments are evaluated based on four criteria: design, innovation, implementation and quantified critical success factors. The last measure takes into account development, construction, planning and finance and budgetary constraints. Projects competed against each other in seven categories for the judging.
A Grand SADI winner is selected from the projects that win their categories. This year’s top project is tvsdesign’s Mall Plaza Antofagasta Aires in Santiago, Chile. The project won the Renovated or Expanded Enclosed Center category as a renovation of a subterranean parking deck into a 21,204-sq.-ft. upscale shopping destination.
The jury felt it was “an outstanding demonstration of the power of design to transform” and “shows what can be done with very little.” It’s also striking that a renovation project took home the top accolades. With the retail pipeline at low levels since the recession and into the recovery, there has been less opportunity to make a mark with new projects.
Other entrants to win their categories include GH+A and Lami Grubb Architects’ Aéropostale design, JPRA Architects’ and Dialog’s Dine on 3 Yorkdale Shopping Centre; and RTKL Associates’ 9 Square Shopping Centre and City Crossing Shenyang.
The awards are conducted in collaboration with the American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) National Retail and Entertainment Knowledge Community, which provides the jury. This year’s jury included five judges from that group. The judging took place in mid-November.
GRAND WINNER Renovated or Expanded Enclosed Center
Mall Plaza Antofagasta Aires
HONORABLE MENTION New or Renovated Store, Less than 5,000 Sq. Ft.
Hershey's Kisses Experience
WINNER New or Renovated Store, More than 5,000 Sq. Ft.
Aéropostale
HONORABLE MENTION New or Renovated Store, More than 5,000 Sq. Ft.
El Palacio De Hierro
WINNER Adaptive Reuse of a Big-Box Space
Dine on 3 Yorkdale Shopping Centre
HONORABLE MENTION Adaptive Reuse of a Big-Box Space
Horseshoe Casino Cleveland
Richmond Centre Food Court
WINNER New Enclosed Center
9 Square Shopping Center
Section 8 Title
HONORABLE MENTION New or Renovated Open-Air, Community or Power Center
Tanger Outlets - Texas City
WINNER New Mixed-Use or Multi-Use Development
The MixC in Shenyang
HONORABLE MENTION New Mixed-Use or Multi-Use Development
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