Can design change the way we shop? In Brussels, 10 of the 2025 award-winning sites prove that it can. Between strong concept and sensitive execution, they show that a well-thought-out space is much more than a question of aesthetics.
What is the Commerce Design Brussels Awards?
Launched in 1995 by the City of Montreal, Quebec, the Commerce Design Award is an international competition that recognizes businesses that combine design and functionality. Its aim is to promote collaboration between passionate retailers and design professionals, with a view to urban revitalization. After exporting to Lyon, Marseille and Eindhoven, the prize has found a fertile ground for expression in Brussels. For several editions now, the Commerce Design Brussels Awards have been spotlighting local addresses that dare to think differently about their space – and that changes everything.
Behind the façade, the intention
Every year, the Commerce Design Brussels Awards scour the city for places that make passers-by’ hearts beat faster. But there’ s no free-for-all here! What’s rewarded is the alliance between the retailer’s soul and the designer’s vision. In 2025, ten addresses stand out, all very different, but united by a common thread: a clear idea of what a space should be today. Whether it’s an audiophile café, a glass-roofed gallery or a materials library, each of these places tells much more than a concept: they express a philosophy.
An award list that refuses to copy and paste
What this award celebrates is the diversity of approaches: some focus on emotion, others on spatial narration, and still others on pure use. The straightforward burger of Rambo burger cohabits here with the tactile volumes of Baci, while the warm Alphonse evokes the living room of a stylish friend. The scenography designed for Swookies showcases each cookie as a small work of art, while The Unusual blurs the boundaries between coworking, café and third-place. In the age of Instagrammable interiors, these spaces focus on sustainability, coherence and experience.
Design as a lever for urban transformation
Beyond their pretty walls, these prizewinners embody a fundamental movement: that of local commerce reinventing itself. Through these collaborations between design professionals and committed retailers, Brussels is affirming a vision: that of a city that values its roots, originality and welcome. Far from standardized formats, these spaces show that a shop can be a place of life, culture and connection. And that design, when used properly, can be a powerful driver of desire and loyalty.
The 10 winners of the 2025 Commerce Design Brussels Awards
- Alphonse (Uccle ): a warm café with a vintage lounge feel, designed as an extension of the home (Ch. de Waterloo 1332, 1180 Uccle).
- Baci: a refined tribute to Italy, with hand-crafted ceramics, olive trees and solar marble. (Rue du Tabellion 31, 1050 Ixelles)
- Boa Boa Records Café: a sound den in Uccle where music on vinyl structures the space and the experience. (Rue Vanderkindere 356, 1180 Uccle)
- Encré Atelier: textile workshop and multidisciplinary studio where tattooing, fashion and café coexist with elegance. (Rue des Chartreux 17, 1000 Brussels)
- Galerie Bortier: historic gallery transformed into a cultural crossroads combining rare books and gourmet delights. (Rue de la Madeleine 55, 1000 Brussels)
- Le Petit Bon Bon Le Petit Bon Bon: the intimate brasserie of the Corinthia Astoria, led by Christophe Hardiquest, between tradition and insolence. (Rue Royale 103, 1000 Brussels)
- Materiatek: a sustainable materials library and innovation space for architects and designers (Rue van Malder 24, 1080 Brussels).
- Ramboburger: three burgers, a lively playlist and raw decor: street food with character (Rue Sainte-Catherine 29, 1000 Brussels).
- Swookies: the cookie in all its forms, in a store designed as a sweet and sincere cocoon (15 rue Dejoncker, 1060 Saint-Gilles and 97 rue des Mélèzes, 1050 Ixelles).
- The Unusual: a hybrid place, at the crossroads of café, coworking and culture, resolutely singular. (Rue Montagne aux Herbes Potagères 49, 1000 Brussels)
You have until September 23 to vote for your favorite via this link!