Populous Recognized with Top Interior Design Awards

Allianz Field and Churchill Downs Starting Gates take home awards from Association of Luxury Suite Directors (ALSD) while the Pleat Collection is recognized by International Interior Design Association (IIDA).

ALSD’s 4^th Annual Spotlight Design Contest awards two Populous projects top prize, celebrating their designs, aesthetics, and venue innovations at the 30^th Annual ALSD Conference and Tradeshow last week. The Spotlight Design Content is designed to include and inspire all industry participants, from premium seat executives, to designers, to technology providers and innovators, who are encouraged to submit their very best offerings in various venue categories.

Winning the Best Overall Architecture category was Populous-designed Allianz Field. From the project’s master planning and landscape design to its interiors, furniture, graphics and brand activation, Minnesota United entrusted Populous with a comprehensive scope of design services. The result is a larger experience that feels seamlessly woven together. All the design details come alive to produce one-of-a-kind moments in this iconic and intimate award-winning venue. Read more about the fan-first design of this stadium, including the incredible sustainability efforts, here.

Populous’ submission of Churchill Downs Starting Gates Suites was the winning project in the Suites category. The 77,250-square-foot project added 32 new suites built above an existing grandstand. Each of the three levels features trackside suites that are adjacent to a large bar and dining experience. Overall, the project added a new entry stair tower, 1,910 new seats, three new viewing terraces, three large bars, three large buffets, and 71 new wager machines while incorporating the derby experience into the design to reveal the rich history of the prestige Churchill Downs’ brand.

This is the second year in a row that Populous has received the best project in this category. Last year, the Wrigley Field suites, historic home to the Chicago Cubs, took home the honor after the completion of its five-phase renovation project in April of 2019.

The IIDA Mid-America Design Awards presented Populous’ product design team the Silver Award in the Design Detail category for the Tuohy Pleat Collection. Launched this year, the Pleat Collection is an array of seating pieces based on an organic, molded seat form that is ergonomic, adaptable, affordable, and brilliantly detailed. The design is well suited to a wide range of interiors environments, from group conference and private office, to lobby and hospitality settings. This design gives Tuohy a seating collection with a wide variety of bases, designed to integrate into a variety of applications and market verticals based on materials and configurations. It is offered with a wood leg base, a 4-star base with foot pads, a 5-star base with casters, a disk base, and a wire frame base. Visit the Populous Product Design page to see more from the Pleat Collection.

The IIDA MADA event recognizes prestigious interior design work within the Kansas City and Wichita areas. Design firms throughout the Chapter submit their projects from numerous market sectors to compete for outstanding recognition among their peers biennially.