Design Meets Art: The Making of REUTPALA for the World Retail Congress
The intersection of design and art is a line often crossed and certainly danced upon. And here is how that dance unfolded with The Making of REUTPALA for the World Retail Congress
REUTPALA is the completely redesigned award for the World Retail Congress with it’s origins in retail and the connection between the maker/giver and the receiver. REUTPALA is the juxtaposition of utpala – “longevity or renewal”, “to burst open”, “youth” and that of the future of retail. REUTPALA is a symbol and when examined closely inside, the victory of the spirit of giving and receiving an award, a reward with two hands is preserved. The typology of REUTPALA allows it to keep the brand identity of the World Retail Congress in a prominent position on a person’s desk yet obscurified by the object itself, a reminder of the worldly spirit of giving and receiving.
The design and engineering for REUTPALA took almost 300 days of R&D with more than 10 international partners and manufactures using advanced 3D Metal Printers in conjunction with 3 university laboratories in 3 countries and the team at iGNITIATE. The result is a spectacular example of advanced design, manufacturing and production techniques. The award is given to some of the world most prominent leaders in retail including a 2015 special lifetime achievement award given to Alberto Alessi for his incredible contribution to design and retail world wide.