Awards:

Chain Store Age 'Retail Store of the Year'
First Prize in Single Unit Category

Interior Designers Institute of British Columbia 'First Place'
Retail Design Category

National Association of Store Fixture Manufacturers 'Outstanding Merit Award' Hardline Specialty Store up to 3,000 sq. ft.



Project:
Gifts of the Raven Retail Store
Vancouver International Airport

Client's need:
To create a retail facility to display authentic native art in a museum like setting, taking advantage of a prime airport location.

Design challenge:
Create a space that is sensitive to the location at the centre of the YVR International Terminal. The new store needed to be created in such a way as to not block views to the surrounding base building art while at the same time providing the best possible backdrop for the high end native art pieces that the store sells. The store also needed to be attractive to travelers in the airport after hours.

 Design Solution:
To meet these challenges, a very unique solution was created including:

  • laying out the space in an ellipse to create the enclosure when the store is closed
  • minimizing the size of the daytime enclosure for the security grille so that the store is as transparent as possible
  • enclosing the structural steel creating 'totems' to highlight the merchandise even when the store is closed
  • use of natural, indigenous materials throughout.
  • creating flexible, mobile display units for ever-changing merchandise as well as to easily move everything within the ellipse when the store is closed.
  • retaining a local native artist to create the 'Raven' panels for the feature millwork.
  • working with a lighting designer to design dramatic ways of lighting the merchandise taking into account it's sensitivity to heat and ultraviolet rays.
  • sensitivity to accessibility issues

Client:
HMS Host

Design Team:
HMS Host
DH Designs

Lighting Design:
Galina Zbrizher

General Contractor:
Heron Construction & Millwork Ltd.

Photography:
Michael Carpenter Photography
703-644-9666



Front View
(Click on the pictures for larger images)



Side View


Elliptical Structure


Back Wall Display


Display Detail