Contract - June 2009 - (Page 20)

industry The Gallery Toronto—Toronto-based burdifilek is taking Canada by storm with its new aisleless retail concept for Murale™ Shoppers Drug Mart stand alone beauty destinations. The stores launched in Ottawa and Montreal late last year, and more are scheduled to open in 2009. Shoppers Drug Mart Corporation operates full-service drug stores at more than 1,100 locations across the country. The design streamlines the shopping process, utilizing stark white interiors, terrazzo flooring, and visual stimulation through airy, translucent elements that keep shoppers attentive and involved. White-on-white fixtures as well as blends of matte and gloss finishes turn the shop into a gallery of more than 200 cosmetic, fragrance, and skin care collections. Circular counters replace aisles and are splashed with clear-resin glass, custom tinted in fuchsia and purple. But the most eye-catching element is the backlit LED “waterfall” that introduces customers to the full-service dermatological treatment area, giving them the illusion of privacy in this more secluded section of the store. The actual storefront is also transparent, tricking the eye and pulling customers in. Photo by Ben Rahn of A-Frame Market Boom Riyadh, Saudi Arabia—The new King Abdullah Financial District, located just north of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, is finally underway. Chicago-based Goettsch Partners has been commissioned by Saudi Oger Ltd. to design a five-star, 214-room Wyndham business hotel on parcel 1.08, one of the first 10 parcels currently being developed in the district. The hotel will feature a 17-story tower, a three-story podium (which incorporates a multipurpose hall, outdoor gardens, and a rooftop terrace), and a four-story underground structure for support functions and parking. A business center, executive club, restaurants, a lounge, spa, and health club will be included. The King Abdullah Financial District is an almost 400-acre area that will include more than 32 million sq. ft. of development. It is set to be a major financial center in the Middle East and was conceived as part of Riyadh’s overall economic diversification plan. The $132-million project is being designed to achieve LEED certification, with a number of sustainable features, such as photovoltaic roof panels and solar shading, and the location is close to alternative transportation systems within the KAFD. The hotel’s north façade features an undulating, faceted skin, comprising a semitransparent aluminum and glass curtainwall with two layers of ceramic frits. The south façade is mostly opaque, in order to mitigate the extreme heat throughout most of the year. It is clad in stone with 150-mm.-wide, single level slots that rhythmically alternate up the tower. Its east and west facades feature a saw-toothed design with continuous slab edges. This pattern reveals the scale of the rooms and provides maximum shade while still allowing for natural lighting and views. The project is scheduled for completion in 2011. 20 contract june 2009 Photo © Goettsch Partners www.contractmagazine.com http://www.contractmagazine.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Contract - June 2009

Contract - June 2009
Contents
Editorial
Industry
Exhibition: Best of NeoCon 2009
Building Bridges
Bright Side
How Sweet It Is
At Home Abroad
First Class Dining
Star Quality
Collective Conscience
A Perfect Fit
Teen Spirit
Designers Rate: Stacking Chairs
You Are Not What You Were
Ad Index
Perspectives

Contract - June 2009