Best of 2005 Awards

Nintendo World

Award of Merit: Retail

Nintendo, the video game system maker, decided last year in mid-October to take on a project befitting a company that thrives on creating new challenges for its customers.

The company wanted to completely rebuild a retail space in Manhattan's venerable Rockefeller Center into an innovative showcase for its entire product line - offering a memorable destination for video game enthusiasts. And it wanted to open its Nintendo World location by May.

"It's unique," said one of the Best of 2005 jurors. "The corner location in Rockefeller Center - historic, stately, and here is Nintendo in your face."

As Nintendo's only retail store worldwide, the client and design team decided the space needed to sparkle. TPG Architecture of New York attempted to immerse visitors in the dramatic, out-of-scale feel of the company's games, said Alec Zaballero, principal and design director at TPG.

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Everything in the store is custom-built, he added, such as: egg-shaped rumble chairs with sense-around speakers and subwoofers in the base; special aluminum walls measuring 10 ft. by 30 ft.; and a 20-ft. video tower with nine screens, the largest measuring 100 in. diagonally.

The design intent was to blur the lines between architectural details, fixtures, and metal and glass elements, Zaballero said. To achieve this customized effect, the architecture, fixture design, audio-visual, and construction teams all coordinated at the same table, through conference calls, Internet communications, and team meetings. To top off the challenge, Rockefeller Center's landmark status required an extensive approval process to redesign the exterior.

Nintendo refused to disclose costs for renovating the 13,000-sq.-ft., three-floor space.

The store now functions as a retail outlet and product showcase, as well as a "laboratory" for the company to test user experiences on new games. The space has 60 game stations that allow visitors to try every game Nintendo offers, sometimes before the actual product release. Each station features the rumble chairs and 42-in. flat screens, designed to maximize the sensory experience.

"It's colorful and fun, and you can imagine those screens on all the time," one juror said.

Key Players

Owner/Developer: Nintendo of North America

Construction Manager: Lehr Construction

Architect: TPG Architecture

M-E-P Engineer: Ambrosino, DePinto & Schmieder

Structural Engineer: Axis Design Group

Fixture Design: Amuneal Manufacturing Corp.

AV Consultants: McCann Systems