Avolta, leading travel retail and F&B player, in collaboration with Presentedby, is proud to announce that their innovative retail concept at Zayed International Airport, Abu Dhabi, has won the Platinum Award in the Interior Design - Retails, Shops, Department Stores & Mall category at the 2025 London Design Awards, the highest recognition bestowed by the prestigious international competition.
The award celebrates the groundbreaking work behind a unique experiential retail destination that blends premium fashion, streetwear culture, and travel retail, setting a new standard for design excellence and innovation within the airport environment. The winning concept, launched in February this year at Zayed International Airport – recently voted World’s Most Beautiful Airport at the Prix Versailles, World Architecture and Design Award – merges luxury with street culture in a design-forward space that invites travelers to connect with the latest trends while on the move. From bespoke interiors to immersive digital elements, the store creates a destination within a destination, fusing high energy, high design, and high engagement with a sustainability drumbeat.
“This award is a powerful reflection of what we stand for,” said Vijay Talwar, Chief Commercial and Digital Officer, Avolta. “Together with Presentedby, we’ve redefined what airport retail can be — not just functional, but iconic. The Platinum Award from the London Design Awards honors our bold vision and the exceptional creativity of our teams. We are proud to bring travelers an experience that truly resonates with culture, style and purpose.”
Carmelo Zappulla, Founder and CEO of External Reference, added: “With Presentedby Abu Dhabi, we transformed a travel retail environment into a profound sensory experience: water, as a universal metaphor of life and movement, guides an immersive spatial narrative where aesthetics and sustainability converge to redefine the future of retail.”
Nohman S Ahmed, Co-Founder & Director of Presentedby concluded: "It has been an absolute pleasure collaborating with Avolta to bring our award-winning Presentedby concept to the travel sector for the first time. This award is a testament to our joint efforts in creating a space that blends discovery and interaction within a luxurious, design-driven setting — proving that even conventional spaces can be transformed into exciting, engaging environments."
The Platinum Award is given to entries that score between 85 and 100 points, marking them as exemplary in design execution, originality, and impact. Judged by a global panel of experts, the London Design Awards celebrate the world’s most visionary projects across architecture, interior, product, and experiential design. The winning concept was brought to life in partnership with External Reference, a renowned architecture studio known for creating immersive, futuristic spaces that fuse technology, storytelling, and cultural relevance.
