VMSD shares a look into NELSON’s latest project for London Jewelers here.

This month our project for American Library Association is highlighted in the latest issue of Archello. When looking to relocate from their long-time offices in Chicago, the American Library Association (ALA) tapped award-winning design firm NELSON Worldwide to deliver a new space that would excite and motivate staff.

To develop a deeper understanding of the company culture, the design team worked closely with ALA employees, ultimately determining that the ALA is made up of a kaleidoscope of communities that, like those they serve, celebrates diversity. Ever-changing perspectives honor the unique beauty of each individual—yet, only when brought together, do they become a unified center of knowledge that transforms, inspires, nurtures, and endures. As a result, the design was driven by the unique collectivism found within the kaleidoscope. Read more here.

This month our project for Windward Harrisburg is highlighted in the latest issue of Archello. Recognized as a national multi-disciplinary minority-owned engineering firm, Windward Engineers and Consultants provides a full menu of architectural engineering and consulting. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Windward partnered with architecture design firm NELSON Worldwide to provide interior design services for its new Harrisburg, Pennsylvania location.

Windward acted as the owner, MEP engineer, fire protection engineer, security consultant, and lighting designer for the new office which includes dynamic amenities and features such as a café, huddle rooms, a conference room, a wellness room, a lighting lab, print/copy space, and an outdoor patio. Read more here.

This month our project for Emory’s Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) Center is highlighted in the latest issue of Archello.

NELSON Worldwide designed the Emory’s Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) Empowerment Program Center for specialized care in Atlanta, Georgia. In a collaborative effort with the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory Brain Health Center, NELSON designed a space with key stakeholders that created a new, one-of-a-kind health program. Read more here.

This month our project for Oracle Innovation Lab is highlighted in the latest issue of Archello. Multinational computer technology corporation, Oracle, tapped design and innovation experts at NELSON Worldwide to create a simulated connected worksite for testing and exploring the company’s newest technologies.

Situated on the outskirts of Chicago in Deerfield, Illinois, the Oracle Industries Lab is the first laboratory of its kind in the United States, serving as a platform for the iconic brand to showcase its innovation in technology and digital transformation. This state-of-the-art facility is fully equipped with the tools needed to provide hands-on experience within a simulated connected worksite. With a partnership of over 13 years, NELSON Worldwide served as the head architect and interior designers for this unique, full-service project. The firm provided the new lab with everything including lighting design, graphics, customer journey mapping, architecture, and interiors. Read more here.

This month our project for Polaris HQ is highlighted in the latest issue of Archello. Founded in Roseau, Minnesota, in 1954, Polaris Inc. manufactures motorcycles, snowmobiles, ATVs, and neighborhood electric vehicles. Since its inception, Polaris has risen to prominence as the premier manufacturer of outdoor motorsport vehicles in the United States. With over 400 employees to date, the company sought the expertise of global architecture, design, and strategy firm NELSON Worldwide.

Having worked with NELSON on office renovations across the country, Polaris tapped the firm to reconceptualize their headquarters and create a space that hones employee well-being, elevates brand identity, and emphasizes company culture. The office includes upgraded workspaces, a showroom experience, a branded cafeteria, and a retail store. Located in Medina, Minnesota, the 124,528 square-foot facility will showcase all 30 brands under the Polaris umbrella. Read more here.

This month our project for Two22 Tower is highlighted in the latest issue of Archello. Downtown Minneapolis is in the midst of a building repositioning boom—a total of eight towers have remodeled their lobbies to meet the new demands of today’s workforce, with Two22 being the most recent to undergo a renovation. Following the commercial building’s sale to Lingerfelt CommonWealth Partners, the former Campbell Mithun Tower was rebranded as Two22 with the new owners looking to invest in the building offering future-forward amenities to attract new tenants.

NELSON Worldwide was selected for the extensive renovation to transform the first and second floor and to create a unique and uniform building experience throughout the tower. To differentiate the building from those nearby, NELSON Worldwide used its building repositioning experience to upgrade the main entry, first floor and second floor atrium, tenant amenity lounge, conference center, building management office, elevator lobbies, fitness center, coffee shop, full service restaurant and bar, retail spaces, and marketing suite. Read more here.

A lot has changed in retail since the 2017 EuroShop Fair. Bringing the biggest trends in retail to one global platform, we were excited to head back to Dusseldorf this year, eager to see something new alongside 94,000+ retail professionals from 57 nations across the globe.

Showcasing innovations in food service to store design, we left EuroShop 2020 with new ideas and insights on the trends that will continue to transform the retail industry. Curious to see what topics were top of mind? Keep scrolling for 5 key takeaways from this year’s event.

[1] A New Consistency

Today, it is important for brands to create experiences that are both bold and memorable. Brand channels no longer have to look and act the same for every group, and the idea has shifted to developing environments that resonate with local consumers or niche groups. At this year’s fair, we tuned into an insightful session titled “Creativity Is the New Consistency” that explored what brands need to do to cater to this shift in economy where change is the norm and experiences come first.

[2] Digital Transformation

The growth of e-commerce and the offering of data, insights, and analytics is taking retail to an entirely new level. Retailers are investing in phygital, e-commerce, and mobile application solutions to leverage technology that drives internal optimization and creates a more vibrant customer journey.

At the 2020 show, digital price displays and stock robots were popular products, underlining how retailers all over the world are focused on efficiency. Being able to show customers real-time price updates and quick stock information not only helps customers but employees.

[3] Bold Experiences + Versatility

According to Michael Gerling, Chairman of the EuroShop Advisory Board, “The success of e-commerce is a real encouragement for retailers: they have understood they have to give their shoppers good reasons beyond the ranges to enter their stores. This competition has taken retail to the next quality level. Investment is being made in shop fitting to create customer journeys.”

By designing with experience in mind, retailers can fulfill consumers’ desires, whether that be offering a moment of discovery, the opportunity to personalize, or maybe just a moment to relax.

[4] Conscious Consuming

As society becomes more aware of carbon footprints, consumers everywhere are taking into consideration the impact of the products, services, and brands they decide to interact with. As seen at this year’s fair, retailers have recognized this movement by moving toward more sustainable practices – whether that includes utilizing sustainable design materials or investing in strategies to reduce waste. Alex Athanassoulas, CEO of STIRIXIX Group questioned this new trend while identifying rules retailers will need to follow to adapt to a more sustainable operation and gain consumer trust.

[5] Elevated Service

Alongside a strategically designed space, providing elevated service starts with empowering in-store associates with the tools needed to enhance the customer journey. For example, at Johnnie Walker’s Madrid flagship, service is king. Not only was the store interactive featuring personalization and digital moment, but employees who are trained on the brand’s product, offer insights and knowledge of what to buy and how to use it. When a store becomes a place where people can learn, the experience suddenly becomes more elevated, trustworthy, and meaningful.

As retail continues to rapidly transform, we’re looking beyond the immediate industry, to environments and concepts inspiring the retail of tomorrow in our latest Fluid Retail series. Today’s consumers engage with brands in a fluid manner. The traditional sectors of the retail, restaurant, hospitality, and entertainment have blurred as the consumer-desired experience has become a mosaic of expectations, influenced heavily by engagement, access, and authenticity. Embracing these new expectations presents brands with a greater opportunity to differentiate, cross-sell and expand the breadth of their brand experience. 

This segment will focus on entertainment concepts—from brand name skate parks, to experiential beauty studios, that have adapted to new consumer behaviors, paving the way for new experiences of the future (and while you’re here, check out other our other segments: Hospitality & Wellness and Food + Beverage):

RazerStore

Global gaming brands Razer has unveiled its first European flagship,  a 3,700-square-foot space dedicated to interactive experiences. The distinctly dark two-floor space features a shop floor, play-test area where consumers can try out any combination of Razer’s gear, and lower ground floor gaming zone, complete with an enclosed streaming booth, connected consoles and ten battle stations. There will also be weekly tournaments, workshops, and boot camps in the future.

RazerStore, London, UK

Vans Skate Space

Vans Skate Space 198 was designed to offer a unique skate experience both beginner and experience boarders. As consumers flock to brand sponsored spaces, Vans hopes that the space will host competitions, art exhibits and music events in the future. 

Vans Skate Space, Brooklyn, NYC

CAMP Flagship

Built to engage and inspire young families CAMP’s newest flagship location in Hudson Yards NYC has a canteen, an interactive space for play and shopping, and a theater for activities and programming for kids. Different from other CAMP stores that operate with rotating themes, this signature store features the brand’s BaseCAMP theme, bringing families the nostalgia of New England summer camps no matter the time of year.

CAMP, Hudson Yards NYC

Zalando 

European fashion e-retailer Zalando opened a Berlin Beauty Station to act as a multi-use store that doubles as an interactive art gallery, salon, or photography studio. Showcasing IRL tutorials and producing educational content for in-store tablets or online streaming, the store offers fans beauty focused entertainment experiences. 

Zalando Beauty Studio, Berlin, Germany

Off-White Miami Flagship

Fashion designer and streetwear icon Virgil Abloh has redesigned Off-White brand’s Miami flagship to flex into a multipurpose event and fulfilment center when not in regular retail mode. The space’s new design navigates the challenges of reimaging the physical brand space as the popularity of e-commerce, accelerated by the pandemic, grows.

Off-White Flagship, Miami, FL

As retail continues to rapidly transform, we’re looking beyond the immediate industry, to environments and concepts inspiring the retail of tomorrow in our latest Fluid Retail series. Today’s consumers engage with brands in a fluid manner, the traditional sectors of the retail, restaurant, hospitality, and entertainment have blurred as the consumer-desired experience has become a mosaic of expectations, influenced heavily by engagement, access, and authenticity. Embracing these new expectations presents brands with a greater opportunity to differentiate, cross-sell and expand the breadth of their brand experience. 

This segment will focus on Hospitality & Wellness concepts—from fitness flagships to lifestyle hotel—that have adapted to new consumer behaviors and paved the way for new experiences of the future (and while you’re here, check out other our other segments: Food + Beverage and Entertainment):

Locke at the Broken Wharf

British hotel brand Locke opened a new experience that shifts the traditional hotel experience by merging elements and ideas of the hotel and homestay. At the Broken Wharf hotel, guests have access to an all-day restaurant, co-working space, yoga studio, and events space for art exhibitions and small concerts in collaboration with local artists.

Locke at the Broken Wharf, London

Greenhouse

The Greenhouse Group recently opened one of the largest dispensaries in Illinois. Located on the outskirts of Chicago, the two story building will offer a retail cannabis experience that focuses on education. Most dispensaries follow a showroom-style format, but Greenhouse blends the usual hands-off displays with unique demonstration zones.

Greenhouse, Chicago, IL

S/Park by Shiseido

S/PARK is an interactive beauty complex established at the Shiseido Global Innovation Center in Japan. Spanning across three floors, visitors can enjoy delicious and healthy meals created in collaboration with Shiseido Parlour, experience active beauty through their original programs based on unique methods, and connected with counselors to personalize cosmetics and try new products. 

S/Park X Shiseido, Yokohama, Japan

Camp Hox

With travel restrictions in place across the world, many people have opt for outdoor adventures. Following this trend, London boutique hotel The Hoxton created a premium pop-up camping experience called Camp Hox. Here, campers can rent a fully equipped canvas tent with beds, hot showers, personal bathrooms, and a private fridge that is re-stocked each day with food. 

Camp Hox X Hoxton Hotel, United Kingdom

Peloton Studio NYC

Fast-growing fitness brand Peloton has taken its business beyond at-home cycling classes into a massive 35,000 SQ FT studio-retail hybrid at Hudson Yards in NYC. Leveraging the brands lifestyle-meets-fitness mantra, the studio is equipped with space for cycling, yoga, and running classes and a showroom where shoppers can purchase and trial bikes and treadmills. 

Peloton Studio, Hudson Yards NYC