Tom Cartledge was promoted to CEO of London-based architecture firm Benoy in July. He has been with Benoy since 2013, most recently as global director of commercial operations. Before this, Cartledge was European property and strategy director at off-price retailer TJX Cos., and before that he was at Dalgleish & Co. (now CBRE), working with international retailers and landlords on acquisition-and-leasing strategies. We asked him about his favourite retail projects.
Which have been some of the world’s game-changing centres over the years?
I often refer to our work at Bluewater as a great example of how a project can be designed and stand the test of time. Benoy began working on the development on June 21, 1985, a time when the retail industry was completely different, but what the team created was a great place for the community, which has evolved and still remains a retail powerhouse.
Which projects are using innovative approaches to retail design?
If you have yet to see our Parc Central project, in China, I would encourage you to do so. We describe it as a stadium for retail, as it is a uniquely low-rise development in the dense cityscape of Guangzhou which has a multidimensional, open and landscaped parkland at its heart. This is the next generation of place-making and a great lesson in how retail, transit-oriented and public-realm design strategies can come together. Similar to our Beach in Dubai project, it brings a new typology and new thinking to a city.
We’re currently working on the transformation of Silvertown, in London, which will become a global first. The client wants to imagine what the future of “live, work, play” developments will be. Benoy is leading the design strategy for a 232,300- square-metre brand-experience hub which will allow businesses to engage customers and staff like never before. This isn’t retail — this is social engagement and business creativity at its best.