International retail design firm GH+A is the proud recipient of the Retail Design Institute (RDI) First Prize for the design of the Dining Hall at Rideau Centre in Ottawa. RDI announced the winners of the 2014 International Store Design Awards Monday night during the Awards Gala held at the Times Center near Times Square in New York City. Le Groupe Archifin collaborated with GH+A in the capacity of Production Architect.
Situated in the heart of the nation’s capital of Ottawa, the relocated food court is part of a $360-million modernization and expansion project by Cadillac Fairview. The food court elevates the shoppers’ experience from food court to elegant dining hall, while maintaining a strong connection with locals by referencing familiar geography and federal buildings.
Five new specialized gourmet eateries from Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal were added to the 11 existing vendors and the seating capacity was increased by 70 per cent to accommodate up to 850 guests. The Dining Hall features an urban, upscale approach to presenting the food retailers in a theatrical setting, featuring large open kitchen spaces to market new culinary experiences based on visual appeal.
With its high-end finishes more reminiscent of a sophisticated restaurant or boutique hotel than a food court, a new quick-service culinary destination has been achieved. Equipped with real dishware and attendants collecting trays, Cadillac Fairview shows its strong commitment to an ecological mission.
ALL ABOUT GH+A
Founded in 1985, GH+A’s visionary approach to retail design focusses on creating dynamic environments including shopping malls, food courts and restaurants, specialty stores and department stores. The company prides itself on offering a wide array of professional services to its clients, including retail programming, space planning and analysis, design concepts, brand graphics and rollout programs. GH+A is committed to offering innovative and integrated design solutions and ti considers every project as an opportunity to make retail more vital. With offices located in Montreal, Quebec and Detroit, Michigan, GH+A designs for a global market.
For more info, visit www.ghadesign.com
ALL ABOUT RDI (RETAIL DESIGN INSTITUTE)
RDI is an organization of the retail industry’s creative professionals founded in 1961 to be a collaborative community where ideas, knowledge and passion would be shared at an international level and enable members to fulfill the fast-paced planning and design needs of retail. Membership includes architects, graphic designers, lighting designers, interior designs, store planners, visual merchandisers, brand strategists, educators, trade partners, editors and publishers, and students.
For more info, visit www.retaildesigninstitute.org
