Comvita has been recognised at the 2021 Good Design Awards, with its state-of-the-art Wellness Lab receiving Gold in the Architectural Design category.
The Wellness Lab is located at Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour. It uses cutting-edge technology to seamlessly integrate nature and science, and to take visitors on a rich and unique multi-sensory journey that will bring an unparalleled depth to their perceptions of honey, Mānuka and bees.
Created in partnership with lead design agency Blur the Lines, judges’ comments highlighted the outstanding and innovative design principles behind the Wellness Lab space, calling it a ‘great experiential design solution’, with a ‘strong execution of a concept in response to…the importance of bees’. The Wellness Lab’s unique multi-sensory tasting experience distinguished the project from other entries.
Based in Australia, the Good Design Awards aim to showcase the very best in design and innovation excellence, and are widely regarded as the country’s most prestigious international award across the industry. Recognised projects are those which exhibit the highest level of professional design and demonstrate how a design-led approach has contributed towards business success and social and environmental outcomes.
Group CEO of Comvita, David Banfield, says “It’s an absolute delight that the Wellness Lab has received top recognition at this year’s Good Design Awards – especially in such an acclaimed category as Architectural Design. At Comvita, our long-held vision has been to bring our consumers on an innovative retail journey that goes beyond the traditional brick and mortar model. The Wellness Lab encapsulates that transformative approach by offering a multi-sensory experience unlike no other.”
“We’re proud to have partnered with Danielle and the team at Blur the Lines to bring this vision to life. With the continued recognition of the Wellness Lab further cementing our reputation as a world-class innovator and market leader on the global stage, we look forward to rolling out this experience in our overseas markets – taking the story of New Zealand’s Mānuka honey industry to the world,” adds Banfield.
The Comvita Wellness Lab has also received the top accolade in the Retail Award category at the New Zealand Interior Awards earlier this year and has been recognised as a finalist across five different categories at the 2021 Best Awards, with winners yet to be announced.
Did you know?
Comvita was founded in 1974, with a purpose to heal and protect the world through the natural power of the hive. With a team of 500+ people globally, united with more than 1.6 billion bees, they are a global market leader in Mānuka honey and bee consumer goods. Comvita has pledged to be carbon neutral by 2025 and carbon positive by 2030, planting more than two million native trees every year. Comvita has operations in Australia, China, North America, South East Asia, and Europe – and Aotearoa New Zealand.
