Woolworths wins international award for store design

The awards honoured all aspects of retail design from around the world and winning projects were located in the US, Chile, China, Turkey, Italy, Singapore and France. Woolworths was the only winner from South Africa and joined an illustrious group of winners including RH Restoration Hardware, Karl Lagerfeld, Apple, Under Armour and Whole Foods.

The store was recognised for its intuitive layout, simple and consistent signage and raw and natural materials. According to the association, "Custom gondolas of concrete, steel, brick, tile, oak and reclaimed wood hold bulk items, while steel and reclaimed timber tables present merchandising displays. Fluorescent and metal halide lamps accent the store, with natural light brought in with skylights. Shops within the shop, such as a sushi counter, butchery, fishmonger and a stylish cafe, break up the space and keep the store's original boutique feel."

Commenting on the award, Zyda Rylands, MD of Food at Woolworths said, "We are proud to accept this award, particularly as it is for a store we are so passionate about. Waterstone is our biggest food market to date and reflects the latest view of our 'food market of the future concept' as we continue our journey of becoming a big foods business."

In keeping with Woolworths Good Business Journey, the store also features a number of 'green' design elements, such as natural light from skylights and a system that automatically dims the store's lights in bright daylight conditions. The store also recaptures waste heat from refrigeration to heat the store and the fridges in the store use a natural gas, which does not harm the ozone layer.

Winning team

The Woolworths team that worked on the project included:

• Store design: Errol Solomon, Nicholas Criticos, Piers Mansfield-Scaddan, Lauren Goodbody, Regina Cronje
  
• Visual merchandising: Tracey Lotter, Chantall Hendricks, Dior Green, Warren Sitzer, Dale Adams, Charmaine Roberts, Tracey Lotter
  
• Brand management: Glenda Philp, Chelsea Moyo, Xolisile Dhlamini, Pauline Rennie, Mecedas Allende, Hieba Solomon
  
• In-house agency: Helene Bekker, Dena Benatan
  
• Real estate development: Geoff Sales Architecture, Charles Fourie, Maarten Hoogervorst,
  
• Layout & sales management: Peter Kramers, Amanda Serfontein, Kim Nell

For more information on the awards, go to ARE Design Awards