PUMA 48 Club, Las Vegas, Nevada | Retail Experience of the Year | 54th International Design Competition
- Retail Design Institute
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
PUMA 48 Club has been named the Retail Design Institute’s 2024 Retail Experience of the Year!
Blending technology, art, and fashion, PUMA 48 Club redefines experiential retail through a concept that’s as daring as it is exclusive. Conceived as a hidden-in-plain-sight speakeasy, this one-of-a-kind destination immerses visitors in a world of mystery, discovery, and storytelling, transforming shopping into an unforgettable journey.
🏆 Awards
Retail Experience of the Year
Outstanding Merit Awards for:
Storytelling & Brand Communication
Brand Immersion
“The PUMA 48 Club is pure creative genius—a secret world hidden in plain sight, blending technology, storytelling, and design into an unforgettable journey,” remarked Retail Design Institute International President Cynthia Ortiz, RDI, during the 54th International Design Awards Celebration.
A Secret World Revealed
Behind an unassuming mirrored wall lies a revelation. Visitors trigger entry by scanning the PUMA app, which activates a cinematic video on a two-way mirror before it slides open to reveal an infinity room of mirrors, LED lights, and bespoke artwork. Speakeasy-style music sets the mood as another mirrored door opens to unveil the main lounge—an atmospheric space showcasing limited-edition apparel signed by PUMA’s sport and fashion partners, displayed more like art than merchandise.
The Art of Discovery
Every inch of PUMA 48 Club was designed to surprise and engage. A working PUMA-branded vault door, engineered and finished to appear authentically distressed, leads to an interactive digital experience. Guests test engraved keys in a safety-deposit-box activation to unlock custom giveaways, while a hidden door behind a painting offers staff a discreet entrance—used to surprise VIP guests with champagne service in the lounge.
“When the retail experience is so immersive, layers of interaction make it unforgettable,” noted competition judge Miguel Cánovas, RDI (Culdesac, Spain Chapter).
The result is a destination where storytelling, design, and digital integration converge to celebrate exploration, innovation, and the spirit of play that defines PUMA’s brand.
Congratulations to the PUMA 48 Club project team:
Client: PUMA North America
Designer: EWI Worldwide
Architect: Colkitt
General Contractor: Schimenti Construction
Fixturing, Millwork, Graphics, Lighting: EWI Worldwide
Digital: Recursive
Photography: Joey Ungerer at Key Lime Photo, Las Vegas, NV
(Project team information sourced from official submission materials.)
Judges for the 54th International Design Competition
Competition Chairperson: James Farnell, FRDI | Little Diversified Architectural Consulting (Southwest + Pacific Chapter)
Miguel Cánovas, RDI | Culdesac (Spain Chapter)
Renato Rodrigues Fregnani, RDI | FREG Design (Brazil Chapter)
Daniel Montaño Leon, FRDI | Little Diversified Architectural Consulting (Carolinas Chapter)
Tracy Ho, RDI | Aligned Vision Group (Canada Chapter)
Jesse Moyer, RDI | Levi’s (Northern California Chapter)
Sanjay Agarwal, RDI | FRDC (India Chapter)
Bob Ustanik, Associate RDI | Visplay (Pacific Northwest Chapter)
Jennifer Acevedo, Allied RDI | NELSON Worldwide (Chicago | Great Lakes Chapter)
Doug Williamson, RDI | Scouting America Outfitters (Carolinas Chapter)
Thank you to all who participated in the 54th International Design Competition and to James and our panel of judges!
Congratulations to the Class of 2024
Representing the best in retail design completed between January 1 and December 31, 2024:
PUMA 48 Club
Las Vegas, Nevada, US
EWI Worldwide
Retail Experience of the Year + Outstanding Merit Awards for "Storytelling & Brand Communication" and "Brand Immersion"
A Bathing Ape
East Rutherford, New Jersey, US
BAPE Hong Kong Project Team + Studio Lourdes
Adyaaye
Hyderabad, Telangana, IN
4Dimensions Retail Design (India) Private Limited
Outstanding Merit Award for "Artisanship"
Aesop Wall Street
New York, New York, US
Aesop + Alexander Zilberman Architecture
Outstanding Merit Award for "Architectural Context for Heritage"
Amouage
Shanghai, Shanghai, CN
Amouage + Luximorph Inc.
Outstanding Merit Awards for "Sensory Engagement" and "Architectural Elements for Façade"
Brooklyn Paramount Theater
Brooklyn, New York, US
Arcadis
Outstanding Merit Award for "Historical Restoration"
El Palacio de Hierro
León de los Aldama, Guanajuato, MX
TPG Architecture
FoundRae
New York, New York, US
Spacesmith
Holt Renfrew
Toronto, Ontario, CA
Studio Paolo Ferrari
Innvictus Flagship Store
Mexico City, CDMX, MX
Arcadis
Outstanding Merit Award for "Signature Moments"
Intuit Dome Retail Program
Inglewood, California, US
Studio Archer
Levi’s®, 44 Avenue des Champs-Élysées
Paris, Île-de-France, FR
Levi Strauss & Co. + NELSON Worldwide
Outstanding Merit Award for "Storytelling & Brand Communication"
Mirra
Bellevue, Washington, US
Graphite Design Group
Outstanding Merit Awards for "Technology" and "Community Activation & Engagement"
New Balance NYC Marathon Pop-Up
New York, New York, US
EWI Worldwide
Outstanding Merit Award for "Community Activation & Engagement"
Paris Saint-Germain Megastore
Paris, Île-de-France, FR
Lotus United
Outstanding Merit Awards for "Technology," "Signature Moments," and "Customer Journey"
Saucy!
Orlando, Florida, US
ROWE
Outstanding Merit Award for "Storytelling & Brand Communication"
SKIMS
New York, New York, US
Rafael de Cárdenas and rdc.
Outstanding Merit Awards for "Storytelling & Brand Communication" & "Visual Merchandising & Display"
The Ra Ra Room
Phoenix, Arizona, US
Gensler
Outstanding Merit Award for "Architectural Context for Contrast" and "Sensory Engagement"
The Well Retail
Toronto, Ontario, CA
BDP
Outstanding Merit Award for "Sustainability & Wellness"
Yellow Rose by Kendra Scott
Austin, Texas, US
Kendra Scott
Outstanding Merit Award for "Visual Merchandising & Display"
About the Retail Design Institute
Founded in 1961, the Retail Design Institute is the leading international organization of creative professionals dedicated to advancing the practice of retail experience design.