Designers and architects across the global marketplaces industry are redefining what retail and mixed-use destinations can achieve – socially, economically and environmentally. This spirit of innovation was on full display at the 2025 ICSC Global Design & Development Awards, announced at ICSC+CENTERBUILD on December 4.
This year’s Gold winners exemplify transformative thinking, from adaptive reuse on former industrial sites to fully reimagined urban districts. Among them, Big Fashion Glilot in Israel emerged as one of the standout projects of 2025, earning Gold in Best New Development – Mixed Use Projects and a Special Sustainable Commendation.
Big Fashion Glilot: A New North Star for Tel Aviv
Located at a major junction at the northern edge of the Tel Aviv metropolitan area, Big Fashion Glilot introduces a contemporary, open-air district that blends retail, workplace and lifestyle elements into a seamless, pedestrian-first destination. The project integrates 474,000 square feet of retail with a 43-story office tower totaling 753,000 square feet, creating a district where daily needs, leisure and employment coexist easily.
A defining feature is its car-free, street-level environment. Plazas, green spaces and two pedestrian boulevards lined with cafés, restaurants and shaded gathering areas give the space the feel of an authentic urban boulevard rather than a traditional shopping center.
The tenant mix is equally ambitious: 162 international and local brands, many opening in flagship formats, alongside 54,000 square feet of culinary programming.
Sustainability was central to every phase, aligning with UN Sustainable Development Goals. Climate-responsive architecture reduces cooling loads, solar arrays support renewable energy generation, and the office tower targets LEED Platinum.
A Strong Field of Global Innovators
The awards also celebrated global excellence across project types. Oakland Place in Guatemala City, named Best of the Best, transforms a traditional mall into a dense urban district with renewed indoor–outdoor connections, cohesive architectural language and improved mobility solutions. In St. Louis, City Foundry STL turned a 15-acre former industrial site into a vibrant district that is catalyzing Midtown’s revitalization and drawing over 2.2 million visitors annually.
In Toronto, The Well stands as a model for urban mixed-use development, converting a 7.8-acre industrial site into a fully integrated district where retail, offices, residences and cultural programming intersect.
Tenant-driven Gold winners – including The Rawlings Experience, Haywire Houston Memorial, and Kneads Bakeshop & Cafe – further illustrated how immersive brand environments and adaptive reuse can meaningfully strengthen local identity and economic vitality.
As the 2025 honorees demonstrate, the future of retail is not just about shopping – it is about placemaking, sustainability and creating environments that resonate with communities.
