Emap Events - Awards For World Retail Congress
Emap Events
Awards For World Retail Congress
The World Retail Awards recognises the outstanding innovation and creativity delivered by retailers across the globe. Each year, it celebrates the achievements of those who have provided ‘inspiration and direction to all retailers’ at a spectacular Gala Dinner in Barcelona’s landmark Palau National, Museu National d’Art de Catalunya.
Berry Place was commissioned by Emap to design and produce the awards when they were established in 2007.
Our client had a budget in mind, and the simple steer that they wanted “something abstract and sculptural.” but in all other respects the brief was undefined. Since the presentation is held in Barcelona, the design capital of Europe, it was suggested that the award should make reference to the fluidity of Gaudi architecture.
Working in close partnership with our client we produced a series of sketches to gauge their initial preferences and assist in establishing a way forward.
The final form combined elements from Gaudi’s more prominent works: the Sagrada Familia, the Casa Batlo and the Casa Mica.
To determine the sculpture’s size and better communicate how the award would look before committing to tooling, it was necessary to make a Rohacell foam maquette. AutoCAD drawings were used to finalise scale and proportions, to work out the mapping of the pattern on a lathed object, and to laser cut jigs for assembling the parts - as there are no straight lines to datum from.
Because of the complicated pattern on this award only one quarter of it was sculpted, then duplicated in polyurethane resin from a rubber mould. The completed tooling was passed to an outside contractor to be moulded for lost wax casting from which bronze copies could be created. In subsequent years we have accommodated a change of materials and finishes while carefully maintaining the intrinsic quality of the awards.
The World Retail Congress continues to grow as a showcase for retailing and has recently announced an exciting change of venue to Berlin for the 2010 event.
Client – Emap Events
Photography – Ian Forsyth