Award-winning global architecture, planning, and design firm CRTKL has been recognized for innovative design solutions of retail projects and retail store design at the 2022 ICSC Global Design Awards, earning three awards in three distinctive categories.

Seaport San Diego won gold for Evolving Aspiration and Innovation of New Developments in the Mixed-Use category, HomePark Chengdu won silver for Retail Store Design in the Food Halls/Fresh Markets category, and The New won silver in Renovations/Expansion for Retail Projects Between 150,001 and 500,000 SF of Total Retail Space. 

GOLD AWARD – Seaport San Diego

Seaport San Diego is a revitalization of a site currently lacking in views and a sense of arrival with contemporary experiences designed to prioritize accessible waterfront recreation. The project expands the public realm and introduces new coastal vantage points, doubling the façade activation opportunities along the waterfront by expanding the number of uses and experiences along the water. Hospitality offerings will serve a diverse customer base from luxury boutique hotels to family-friendly extended stays and cool hostels – all served by an activated ground plane of new restaurants, bars, coffee houses, and visitor-serving retail. To serve tourists and locals alike, 100,000+ SF of attractions would include a 4,000-capacity Event Center and the centerpiece, the iconic Observation Tower, a dynamic silhouette to enhance San Diego’s identity.

SILVER AWARD – HomePark Chengdu

Located in the Sichuan province of China, this market and dining hall takes a holistic approach to food. It is a grocer with a quick service restaurant food hall that has a solution for every taste. The challenge was creating an indoor space that looks like a street village and replicates the hustle and bustle of an everyday market scene without being overly chaotic. The success of the market is driven by how it serves the entire neighborhood throughout the day and week. In the morning, grocery shoppers come and roam the market. During lunch time, tenants of the nearby offices come for food hall experiences, and then after hours, the local youth come to discover what’s new, have a bite, and gather in the communal spaces. Homepark redefines a local grocer into a food and beverage transformative experience.

SILVER AWARD – The New

The New is a regeneration project of an urban plaza and an underground commercial space in Beijing. It sets an exemplary prototype of placemaking in urban renewal that integrates public and commercial spaces and optimizes undervalued subterranean spaces. With an institutional approach to commercial architecture and a focus on public placemaking, the design reconciles divided urban and commercial spaces by breaking physical and conceptual demarcation of the ground and liberating subterranean spaces, merging architecture with landscape. The storytelling design exhibits the value of historical and cultural context in creating an authentic sense of place, bringing commercial success and underwriting the value set of “good design, good place, good business.”

The ICSC Global Awards honors premier design and development trends of retail store design internationally, a distinguished achievement for professional excellence in the marketplaces industry commemorating the integral role the retail and real estate industries play in the social, civic, and economic vitality of communities all over the world.

About CRTKL

CRTKL is a global architecture, planning, and design practice that began over seven decades ago and has evolved into a cultural agency to advance positive outcomes in our communities. Focusing on People, Planet, Positive Design allows us to realize a climate-positive and equitable future; dedicated to inspiring experiences, human wellbeing, and socially responsible outcomes through research-empowered and data-driven design.