From the earliest days of shopping centers designers have constantly analyzed the shopping center concept, invited new ideas and raised centers to a higher level. All of these individuals, whether they are architects, designers, owners or developers have been visionaries. Now, to stimulate new visions for the industry the International Council of Shopping Centers, Inc. invites industry professionals to dare to dream and envision what the architectural innovations of the shopping center of the future will be in 2029 to 2059 through its Future Image Architecture Competition.
The ICSC Future Image Architecture Competition, which is open to all architecture professionals worldwide who are members of ICSC, encourages individuals to envision the shopping environment of the future, to inspire and entertain the retail real estate industry with out-of-the-box, innovative ideas that will progress our current understanding of the shopping experience. Ideas are not limited to design and architecture but may include any aspect - specific or general - of the retail continuum. Entries into the competition will be judged by a panel of leading professionals comprised of: Barry Bergdoll, The Philip Johnson Chief Curator of Architecture & Design at The Museum of Modern Art, and professor of Architectural History in the Department of Art History and Archaeology at Columbia University; Allison Arieff, New York Times By Design columnist and editor at large for Sunset magazine; and Reena Jana, Business Week Innovation Department editor and co-author of the book New Media Art (Taschen, 2006). These individuals will choose winners in the following areas: The Mall Environment; The Shopping Experience; The Merchandise Mix; Dining and Entertainment; Parking and Transit; Green; and General Brilliance and Innovation.
All submissions in the competition will be exhibited in the Future Image Gallery during ICSC's annual convention, RECon, the largest gathering of the retail real estate industry in the world, May 17th-20th in Las Vegas, Nev. Winners will be announced at the Las Vegas event, on Tuesday, May 19th and featured in an article in ICSC's Shopping Centers Today.
To enter and for competition guidelines, visit www.icsc.org/2009SC/futureimage.php. The deadline to enter is 5 p.m. EST, April 20th.