The main and children’s gift shops were in leading for the Retail category on Thursday. Winners will be announced on August 4

After winning various international accolades in 2019, National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ) gift shops now made it to the 2020 Architizer A+Awards as finalist for ‘Best Retail Popular Choice Awards’. The A+Awards, dubbed as the largest awards programme globally dedicated to honouring the year’s best architecture, spaces and products, is highlighting the most pressing issues facing architecture and design today for its 8th season.

The main and children’s gift shops were on top (1st place) for the Retail category at 33% as of on Thursday evening, leading the race over four other finalists: Carner Barcelona Perfumery (Spain), WOWDSGN Shanghai MixC Store (China), 277 Mott Street (US), and Zhuyeqing Green Tea Flagship Store (China).

In a post on its Instagram page, NMoQ shared a link where the public can cast their votes for this year’s award, which will conclude today (July 31). Winners will be announced on August 4. The gift shops’ unique design was inspired by Dahl Al Misfir (Qatar’s “Cave of Light”), located in the heart of the country. It is a picturesque underground sanctuary formed largely from fibrous gypsum crystals that give off a faint, moon-like, phosphorescent glow. Their organic architecture, designed by Koichi Takada Architects, reflect his vision of bringing nature back into architecture, establishing relationships that connect people and nature through design.

These stunning works of architecture are made of 40,000 pieces of wooden panels – creating a massive wooden canyon. The main gift shop stocks a large collection of well-designed, exclusive gifts, many of which draw their inspiration from the history, heritage, and culture of Qatar.

Meanwhile, the children’s gift shop offers a diverse range of locally designed souvenirs and gift items, including educational toys, books, puzzles and games. Both gift shops are located on the first floor of NMoQ and are open to the public during museum operating hours.

The gift shops have a vertical proportion with high sinuous walls and narrow passageways, all clad with horizontal solid oak strips.

This ‘skin’ generates a fluid and unfurling movement, creating a massive wooden canyon, which is not only a shell but a free-standing element itself.

Display islands are scattered in the middle of the gift shops, playing with the layout and offering the necessary exhibition stalls and a place dedicated to retail needs. In 2019, these museum gift shops bagged four international awards in different categories, including retail and interior design. They were recognised as the Interior Design 2019 Best of Year Award winner for Mixed Retail and also won the Architecture MasterPrizeTM Award for the Retail category in the US.

In the United Kingdom, the gift shops won the 2019 World Interiors News Awards in the Independent Shops or Small Chains category. They also received the Gold Winner title by the Driven x Design 2019 Sydney Design Awards in Australia for Interior Design – Retail, a category that celebrates innovative and creative building interiors.

In addition to winning awards, the gift shops were also nominated for the 2019 INSIDE Award for Annual Best Interiors, Dezeen Awards 2019 for Retail Interior, and the Frame Awards 2020 for the Multi-Brand Store of The Year category.



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