When Giorgio Borruso began designing the first flagship for Italian apparel brand Zu+Elements, he started with paper and pencil. But not to sketch. “In this case, I chose to write poetry,” he says.

“A memory of a grazing flight. A temporarily orphaned sign. A scissor that bites the fabric.”

Those words inspired a geometry of cuts and segmented lines that intersect and connect throughout the ultra-modern, 1100-square-foot store, located on the Via Verri in the heart of Milan’s fashion district. (The poetry, in Italian, is even stenciled on the ceiling.) Both the store and its sculptural cashwrap were recognized as winners in this year’s A.R.E. design competition, with the cashwrap taking home Fixture of the Year honors.

The 12-foot-long counter, made of 5-mil glass, blends seamlessly with the stainless steel, mirrors and geometric cut-outs. A special frame embedded in the white cement floor anchors the cantilevered structure. The back-painted red glass also pushes the envelope by creating the effect of depth. “When you look at it,” he says, “it looks like water.” On top, one section of glass was intentionally left unpainted to create an internal display case for accessories, and the cash register is flush with the glass.

“It viscerally became a piece of functional art,” says Bevan Bloemendaal, Timberland’s senior director, global creative services, and one of this year’s judges. “The shape of the cashwrap is minimally invasive in the environment but still offers a much-needed horizontal work surface.”

Borruso says the unit, built by Buzzoni (Bosaro, Rovigo, Italy), was tested off-site before being moved to the store and reassembled. “This project was all about precision,” he says.

FIXTURE OF THE YEAR
Cashwrap
Zu+Elements, Milan
Design: Giorgio Borruso Design, Marina Del Rey, Calif.
Fixtures: Buzzoni S.r.L., Bosaro, Rovigo, Italy
The take-away: Deep red, back-painted glass transforms into a gravity-defying sculptural piece
Alberto Ferrero, Milan

OTHER WINNERS:

Center Display Desk
Anna Hu-Haute Joaillarie, The Plaza Hotel Retail Collection, New York
Design: FZAD Architecture+Design, New York
Fixtures: BNC Innovative Woodworking Inc., Brooklyn, N.Y.
The take-away: Elliptical shape and LEDs create a museum-like presentation for jewelry

Mirrored Wall Display Case
Blur Eyewear, Dundas, Ont.
Design: RLWDesign, Oakville, Ont.
Fixtures: Brent Brooks Construction, Burlington, Ont.
The take-away: Mirrors function as a looking glass for the high-end eyewear displayed within

Bike Lift
Buell Concept Store Environment, Harley-Davidson Dealerships, Conyers, Ga; Ocala, Fla.; Riverside, Calif.
Design: DCI Marketing, Milwaukee
Retailer/Design: Harley-Davidson Retail Development, Milwaukee
The take-away: Raised motorcycles on aluminum and steel structures put product features at eye level

Dripping Chocolate Display
Dylan’s Candy Bar, New York
Design: TSC Design Associates Inc., New York
Fixtures: Foamworks/Storyland Studios, Lake Elsinore, Calif.
Fixtures: MegaWall Corp., Comstock Park, Mich.
The take-away: Resin, fiberglass and custom laminates create a sugar-coated environment

London Double-decker Bus
Hamleys Regent Street, London
Design: Chute Gerdeman Retail, Columbus, Ohio
Visual Elements: 3D Eye Ltd., South Acton, London
Visual Elements: VM Workshop, Monmouth, Monmouthshire, U.K.
The take-away: Actual iconic vehicle is remodeled into new home for plush animals

New Concept Kiosk
Solo Mobile, Vancouver, B.C.
Design: Perennial Inc., Toronto
Fixtures: Forte Fixtures & Millwork Inc., Concord, Ont.
The take-away: Varying counter heights and angled shapes create a high-contrast visual

Multi-touch TacTable
Sprint Studio, Kansas City, Mo.
Design: Continuum, West Newton, Mass.
Fixtures: TacTable, Cambridge, Mass.
Retailer/Design: Sprint MARCOM, Overland Park, Kan.; Sprint Merchandising, Overland
Park, Kan.
The take-away: Two projectors, near-infrared cameras and LEDs create a visceral experience

Oval Table
Technoshowcase, Boston Logan International Airport, Boston
Architecture/Design: Askew Nixon Ferguson Architects, Memphis, Tenn.
Fixtures: Eventscape, Toronto
Retailer: Airport Wireless, Wellington, Fla.
The take-away: Acrylic table discreetly incorporates all electrical wiring to maintain a clean aesthetic

Shoe Feature Wall
Deegie’s Carma, Kansas City, Kan.
Design: Gensler, San Francisco
Fixtures: Feature Factory Inc., Toronto
The take-away: This 14-foot-long wall at the back of the store serves as a focal point with undulating shelving display shoes just as colorful as the graphics splashed across its layers.

Red Ribbon Wall
Elizabeth Arden Flagship Store, New York
Architecture: Highland Associates, New York
Fixtures: Industry Outfitters Inc., Toronto
Retailer: Elizabeth Arden, New York
The take-away: This curved steel plate reminded judges of the red lipstick in the retailer’s product line.

Telephone Pedestals
Sprint Studio, Kansas City, Mo.
Architecture/Design: Richard Altuna, Architect, Los Angeles
Design: Continuum, West Newton, Mass.
Retailer/Design: Sprint Merchandising, Overland Park, Kan.
The take-away: Stylish, 3-foot-tall pedestals offer customers a hands-on opportunity to learn about Sprint's telephone products.