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Nissan wins Exhibit Award at Chicago

10 February 1998

Architects Select Nissan Dream Garage as Chicago Auto Show's Best Display

    CHICAGO, Feb. 10 -- The best bloom in a bouquet is often
tough to choose, but a jury from the American Institute of Architects (AIA)
was charged with a similar task when asked to judge the massive displays at
the 90th Chicago Auto Show.
    After a full day of viewing the 840,000 sq. ft. McCormick Place show
floor, a full-scale interpretation of Nissan Corporation's television "Dream
Garage" was chosen the winner of the AIA Chicago Award for Excellence in
Design.
    "I never thought this would be as tough as it was," said Stephen Saunders
of the AIA Chicago.  "There are incredible examples of functionality and style
on the show floor.  It's almost impossible, but at the end of the day we
agreed the Nissan display was the best of the best."
    The award was founded by the Chicago Automobile Trade Association (CATA)
and the AIA Chicago to give recognition to automotive manufacturers who year
after year come up with new ideas to capture the attention and imagination of
the millions who attend auto shows across the country.
    "The Chicago show is perfect for this type of judging," said Saunders.
"Chicago is widely recognized as America's most significant architectural city
and it hosts the nation's largest auto show.  It has room for every
manufacturer to flex all the design muscle they wish, and believe me, they do
just that."
    "We thought the Nissan display was exceptionally effective because of its
exuberance and integration with Nissan's marketing message," according to
Saunders.  "It displayed a welcome message to car buyers.  It was colorful,
surreal, accessible and immediate in conveying a 'visit us' feeling."
    "Some of our show's displays are bigger than dealerships," said auto show
chairman Ray Scarpelli.  "It's remarkable that some of the manufacturers are
able to construct 40,000 sq. ft. areas to show their vehicles with such speed
and precision.  The genius of these displays deserves to be recognized."
    A multi-disciplinary jury of architects from the AIA narrowed the field
down to a list of five finalists and then determined the winner.  The other
four finalists, along with judges' comments, are as follows:

    Volkswagen:  "sophisticated materials, clear organization, strong
                  lighting"
    Lexus:       "classical, consistent with Lexus image"
    Audi:        "well-organized, focused, pavilion is the most refined
                  element in the entire show"
    Buick:       "seamless fantasy, playful and inviting"
    The award, a reproduction of a classic window from Frank Lloyd Wright's
"Robie House," was presented at the show's annual First Look for Charity
black-tie benefit.

SOURCE  Chicago Auto Show