World leader in retail environments Frank Alvarez joins the Sydney studio as Global Retail Leader.

Frank Alvarez is a world leader in retail environments, having contributed to the significant evolution of the shopping experience via the design of some of the world’s most highly regarded retail property assets.

“We are delighted to welcome Frank to Woods Bagot as Global Retail Leader,” says Mark Mitcheson-Low, Woods Bagot Director and Regional Executive Chairman.

“Frank’s appointment signals a strategic move, both regionally and globally, to build the best industry teams in each sector to provide consulting, interiors and architecture expertise across high-end markets and mixed use developments. We are tuning each element to achieve unsurpassed outcomes for developers, investors and stakeholders.”

As Global Retail Leader, Frank will be engaged in growing the retail capability of Woods Bagot. His design direction, enabling architecture and design to become an integral part of the shopping experience, will deliver outstanding outcomes for the world’s leading retail developers and their consumers.

“I believe a consumer-centric design process is the key to retailer success, vibrant social spaces, and unlocking value,” says Frank.

“I am passionate about the retail experience; its relation to urban and suburban form, and the integration of technology and media into these environments – architecture, design and technology embracing retailer and consumer desires.”

Focused on retail design since 1986, Frank has delivered complex, large-scale and award-winning shopping precincts around the globe. The majority of Frank’s career has been spent leading design teams for the Westfield Group, where he has overseen landmark projects such as Westfield Garden State Plaza (USA), Westfield Bondi Junction (Sydney), Westfield Chermside (Brisbane), and Westfield Sydney.

Frank has contributed to the design direction and concepts of key Westfield projects in California, Derby, London and Stratford via the experimentation and innovations first implemented in his Australian works.

The culmination of Frank’s Westfield experience is embodied in the global flagship for the Westfield Group – Westfield Sydney. Frank was at the helm of planning, vision direction and retailer design integration from conception through to completion of this iconic development.

The outcomes at these centres are now highly regarded by retailers, authorities and observers. Representing a major paradigm shift in the creation of public retail space, Frank has been a leader in reinventing the idea of the consumer experience and retailer precinct presentation.

Wherever he has worked, Frank has integrated planning, architecture, urban, landscape and industrial design to create an experience that celebrates the desires of retailers and consumers alike, achieved via a process that re-programs the existing parameters of retail and public spaces.

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