Best Retail Design
The District by The Uncarved Block
Chatswood, New South Wales
Jury comment:
For decades, multi-tenant food and beverage spaces have attempted to define themselves by enforcing a (necessarily artificial) uniformity onto their operators. But now, identity is increasingly fragmented, chaos privileged over coherence, individuality preferenced over mass and the old “food courts” have begun to segue into new generation “dining precincts.” The District at Chatswood Interchange shopping mall is a prime example of this shift. Riffing on Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner, the eclectic interior feels as if it has evolved, or perhaps devolved, organically over time, creating an experiential destination animated by a roster of indie operators. What’s interesting is that for all its apparent quotation of an Asian street aesthetic, The District very adroitly sidesteps pastiche. Design firm The Uncarved Block has managed to majestically convert a cavernous 3000-square-metre floor plate into a nuanced, multi-faceted complex of internal laneways, bespoke graphics and innovative digital artwork. If this is the future of mass market eating, it’s a very exciting time for design.
The District
Level 2
Chatswood Interchange
Chatswood NSW 2067
The Uncarved Block
Studio 310, 50 Holt Street
Surry Hills NSW 2010
theuncarvedblock.com.au
