• HEINEMANN Tax & Duty Free awarded gold in the category of Interior Design – Retail at the Sydney Design Awards and Summit 2016
• Award acknowledges exceptional design innovation of HEINEMANN’s Departures store at Sydney Airport’s T1 International terminal

HEINEMANN Tax & Duty Free at Sydney Airport’s T1 International terminal has been awarded gold at the 2016 Sydney Design Awards and Summit for the Interior Design – Retail category.

Now in its fifth year, the Sydney Design Awards recognise and celebrate interior design creativity and innovation, with a focus on the visual experience delivered through design, furnishings, finishes and aesthetic presentation.

HEINEMANN’s T1 Departures store transformation has secured gold for its innovative and unique interior design concept developed in partnership with interior design firm Geyer.

The new store design showcases a more contemporary look and feel, enhancing the duty free in- store experience and delivering a strong sense of place that is uniquely Sydney.

Key features include a bespoke sectional design highlighting the extensive category ranges, including perfumes and cosmetics, wine and liquor, fashion, fine foods and confectionery, while tailored customer engagement zones deliver exciting retail concepts to heighten the shopping experience.

A new, five metre-wide straight path in the middle of the store allows passengers to make their way through the store with ease, enhancing wayfinding and improving sightlines to gates.

A contemporary and artistic interpretation of Australian jacaranda trees is woven throughout the store, with pops of purple lights descending from custom-made steel structures, creating a truly unique design focal point. The store also features environmentally friendly LED lighting.

HEINEMANN’s two dining concepts, Bridge Bar and Coast Café, provide passengers with a relaxing environment to enjoy a meal pre-flight. Bridge Bar features rich wood tones and brass accents embodying the urban feel of Alexandria, while Coast Café showcases an impressive sandstone façade and lighter tones to represent The Rocks.

The menu for both venues has been crafted in partnership with renowned chef Luke Mangan to deliver a contemporary food and beverage offering that showcases local Australian ingredients.

HEINEMANN’s five-store footprint across Sydney Airport’s T1 spans more than 9,000m2 and delivers a world-class shopping experience for more than 14.5 million passengers travelling through the terminal each year.

“This award is confirmation that in collaboration with Geyer, HEINEMANN Australia has created a truly remarkable environment. We set a robust brief to construct the largest duty free store that empowers the Australian aesthetic, while creating a uniquely Sydney and memorable experience for international visitors and locals. This win is brilliant recognition that together, we not only delivered a world-class retail space, but have further cemented Gebr. HEINEMANN as a leader in travel retail,” Managing Director HEINEMANN Australia Constantin Wiesmann said.

“We congratulate our partner HEINEMANN Tax & Duty Free on winning this award. We’re very proud to be working with such an innovative duty free partner, delivering exceptional value and choice and exciting shopping experiences for T1 passengers,” Sydney Airport General Manager Retail Glyn Williams said.