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Chase Hospitality Group president Steven Salm’s brief to interior design firm Nivek Remas: create an Asian version of his popular vegan restaurant chain. And the result: the most remarkable large-scale restaurant space Toronto’s seen since Commute Design’s Oretta.
Located in what was Nota Bene on Queen near University, street market-style seating fronts a coralline tunnel which leads into a series of seating areas, breaking the otherwise open concept into individual spaces inspired by East Asian residential courtyards, separated by low walls and powder-coated steel lattices. Where Oretta is a single, cavernous chamber, Planta Queen creates intimate spaces in what is usually a packed space, focusing attention with lighting in addition to the physical segmentation, brought together with a bold but complementary palette. At the rear of the restaurant, the opaque amber glass separating the dining area from the kitchen serves as a large-scale light diffuser. “We tested a few different colours,” Nivek Remas designer Samer Shaath says, “but that amber glow worked best. People just look better with warm tones.”
The strongest aesthetic statement in Planta Queen comes from the custom wall coverings by Toronto’s Candice Kaye. Its mega-floral imagery is set against dark humus backgrounds and punctuated with koi fish and the occasional dragon. The motifs are reflected in dishes like Chef David Lee’s Ahi watermelon nigiri and cocktails like the bright pink Full Moon with its dragon-fruit juice, lantern-like points of light among the subdued hues creating a rare level of interplay between food and design that’s worth experiencing.
[post_title] => Planta Packs in the Crowds on Queen West
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[post_date] => 2019-09-10 08:00:41
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[post_content] => Lakeview Community Partners has tapped Boston architecture firm Sasaki – whose credits include the Riverwalk in Chicago and 798 Arts District in Beijing – to design a sustainable mixed-use neighbourhood on Mississauga’s waterfront. The 177-acre redevelopment, dubbed Lakeview Village, sits on the site of a former coal factory. “It’s rare to find a project of this size and scope anywhere in the world,” says Sasaki principal Dennis Pieprz. In fact, when completed, the community will house up to 17,000 people. Residents will have access to abundant retail, office and outdoor space, including – early renderings show – a waterway. The design is still being refined, but one thing’s for sure: Lake Ontario is going to feel a lot closer to home. From Three Character-Defining Projects On the GTA's Horizon. Originally published in our Best New Homes issue, 2019. [post_title] => Mississauga Plans an Exciting Gateway to the Lake [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => lakeview-community-partners-mississauga [to_ping] => [pinged] => https://www.designlinesmagazine.com/whats-inside-our-best-new-homes-issue-out-now/ [post_modified] => 2019-09-10 10:48:25 [post_modified_gmt] => 2019-09-10 14:48:25 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://www.designlinesmagazine.com/?p=44206 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [6] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 44176 [post_author] => 19 [post_date] => 2019-09-04 09:59:04 [post_date_gmt] => 2019-09-04 13:59:04 [post_content] => About a decade ago, I started a summer job at Toronto’s Royal Ontario Museum (ROM). On the first day, as the gift shop’s summer students learned to use the cash registers and negotiate the slanted floors of Daniel Libeskind’s Michael Lee-Chin Crystal, our supervisor took us aside to tell us about one last policy: Don’t talk about the architecture of the ROM Crystal. By the end of the week, I understood what all the fuss was about. While visitor comments about the sheer weirdness of the design were deflected with a practiced boilerplate (“some people like it, some people don’t”), more incisive jabs about incoherent layouts, dark interiors and cheap-looking finishes were harder to parry. The Crystal, which radically transformed the face of a century-old museum, had undeniable problems. Writing in Azure, Daniel Viola did not exaggerate when he proclaimed that the ROM Crystal “may be the most hated building in Canada.” A dozen years after the Crystal’s opening, however, it suddenly feels different. An inviting new landscape – unveiled this week – now fronts the building, vastly improving both the experience of Libeskind’s design and the museum’s broader relationship to the city.
Designed by Siamak Hariri of Toronto’s Hariri Pontarini Architects, a pair of modest spaces now embrace the Crystal, meeting its sharp, declarative angles with a softer face. On Bloor Street, the Reed Family Plaza introduces seating and greenery, while the Helga & Mike Schmidt Performance Terrace overlooks the Philosopher’s Walk footpath. The seamlessly linked spaces rest on a foundation of warmly patinated Algonquin limestone.
Deftly angled to draw in pedestrians, the planters and walkways of the Reed Family Plaza quietly translate the kinetic energy of the crystal to street level, while negotiating a transition from the busy sidewalk to a more tranquil environment. There’s a comfortable sense of enclosure but not isolation.
Framed by seating, the planting beds are filled out with a selection of native flora. The greenery provides vital shade while the long planters create angled pathways that invite visitors to take in the drama of the ROM Crystal above. Set against the shrubs and sumac trees, Libeskind’s design feels more alive – and more a part of the city.
The plaza replaces a mostly vacant concrete frontage, which was outfitted only with a cluster of stone benches. Exposed to the street and the elements, the liminal space was an awkwardly unresolved extension of the sidewalk. (I avoided it on my lunch breaks, feeling somehow swallowed up by both street and sun).
To the immediate east, the neighbouring Helga & Mike Schmidt Performance Terrace carries Hariri’s design language into a different kind of space. Tucked in between the Crystal, the north end of the museum’s original 1914 wing – an Italianate cum neo-Romanesque design by Darling & Pearson – and Philosopher’s Walk, the terrace carves out an open space for public programming. Here, concerts, presentations and performances are set to play out from an elevated plinth, with the yellow brick of Darling & Pearson’s design setting a handsome backdrop.
It’s a simple but compelling addition, replacing a vacant concrete platform with a much more dynamic presence. It also provides an important new venue for the museum, allowing the ROM’s programming to permeate into the public realm. (For an outdoor space in the heart of the city, the acoustics are surprisingly good). Like the neighbouring plaza, the outdoor space also revitalizes its neighbours, with the museum’s 1914 and 2007 wings both drawing the eye with a new sense of intimacy.
Today, the ROM Crystal is a relic of a bygone era. Just looking at the thing dredges up the the last decade’s urban vocabulary. When I pass by, terms like “starchitect” and “world-class city” awaken from dormancy in its presence. But all of that seems long ago. The ROM – and Toronto itself – are different now. If the embrace of Libeskind’s back-of-a-napkin drawing evinced the hunger of a city trying to make it on the global stage, then perhaps the grace of the museum’s recent improvements reflects the assured dignity of a city that knows it has finally arrived.
[post_title] => Two Public Spaces Bring Warmth to the ROM Crystal
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White on White
When we last featured from Boychuk Fuller, they had just completed a "treehouse" renovation of their Parkdale attic. Here they spotlight a very different aesthetic: "simple, functional and squeaky clean." Read the story here.
Forest Bathing
This lofty bathroom by Ancerl Studio considers the Maple tree canopy at every turn: from branched tiles to soaring windows (don't worry, there's a privacy screen). Read the full story here.
All In
Post Architecture, who recently completed this awesome bungalow transformation, worked with Analogue Design Studio on this peaceful loo, where a freestanding tub steals the show. Read the story here.
Sky's the Limit
Most of us wouldn't think of adding a skylight to a powder room. But Cab Architects, the duo behind this brilliant kitchen storage idea, aren't typical designers. Read the full story here. [post_title] => 4 Blissful Bathrooms Chock-Full of Design Inspiration [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => 4-blissful-bathrooms-chock-full-of-inspiring-takeaways [to_ping] => [pinged] => https://www.designlinesmagazine.com/boychuk-fuller-bathroom-design/ https://www.designlinesmagazine.com/attic-tree-house/ [post_modified] => 2019-09-04 09:55:34 [post_modified_gmt] => 2019-09-04 13:55:34 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://www.designlinesmagazine.com/?p=43475 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [8] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 37994 [post_author] => 13 [post_date] => 2019-09-04 09:00:14 [post_date_gmt] => 2019-09-04 13:00:14 [post_content] =>If you’re looking for a high-design renovation, a nearly 30-year-old traditional house in Summerhill seems an unlikely place to find it. And yet this house, with its improbable combination of a mansard roof and built-in garage, proved fertile ground for a modern family dwelling. It was bought by a thirtysomething couple that was ready to leave King West for a more family-oriented neighbourhood. “We wanted somewhere to lay down roots,” the homeowner says.
[caption id="attachment_38011" align="alignnone" width="1300"]
The living room with its 5.2-metre-tall ceiling brings in light from the south-facing deck. Sofa from Italinteriors, pendant and floor lamps from Hollace Cluny, painting by Bobbie Burgers.[/caption]
After moving in and having two kids, however, they wanted to remake what the client calls a “seriously dated” interior that featured brown granite counters and glass block in the bathrooms. Enter Brian O’Brian of Omas:Works (Office Works website here), and interior specialists Croma Design. The firms stripped away ornament and made a few careful alterations, revealing the modernist spirit hiding behind the mouldings.
[caption id="attachment_38880" align="alignnone" width="1300"]
Humphrey, the family corgi, is reflected by a Coolican & Company mirror.[/caption]
Up a long flight of exterior stairs, a black-stained door and black mailbox hint at the house’s new character. Inside, it’s more obvious. Pale white-oak flooring extends across a bright main floor toward the two-storey windows at the rear, and to the kitchen to the left – ruled by thick slabs of Bianco Carrara marble and a few well-proportioned white doors. (The master suite fills the second floor, while a kids’ room, guest room and playroom occupy the top floor.) All have the same simple palette of white oak in two finishes, one type of marble and white drywall.
[caption id="attachment_38014" align="alignnone" width="1300"]
Marble covers the countertops, backsplash and hood vent in the Boffi kitchen (from Italinteriors). Pendants from Mjölk; stools by Coolican & Co.; faucet from Ginger’s.[/caption]
That moderation is thanks to Croma, led by Ryan Martin and Amy Kent. They’ve worked with the clients before, and “we knew they enjoy simplicity and appreciate high-quality materials,” Martin says. Accordingly, Croma, who chose the finishes and collaborated with O’Brian on other design aspects, worked to “make the house as simple as possible.”
[caption id="attachment_38019" align="alignnone" width="1300"]
Skylights reign over the third-floor playroom, where an articulated corner and slots in the guardrails add interest to the space.[/caption]
O’Brian, meanwhile, helped this simple house also be interesting. “Architects think spatially first,” O’Brian says, “and you can see that in the way this design has come together.” Above the main staircase, O’Brian reshaped the ceiling below the two skylights that usher in light from above and to the north, then visually opened the stair onto the double-height living room, adding a partial wall at the top to shield the third-floor playroom. This arrangement of planes and peekaboo gaps provides spaces that are childproof, and private yet connected – full of daylight and a very modern spirit of experimentation.
[caption id="attachment_38069" align="alignnone" width="1300"]
Bianco Carrara (from Ciot) clads the shower walls in the master ensuite.[/caption]
The clients credit their two designers for their dedication and discipline. O’Brian “didn’t care about the size of the project,” the homeowner says, “but about what he could do for the client.” And to take a house like this from traditional to “both calm and full of visual interest,” as O’Brian suggests, was a historic feat.
Originally published in our 2018 Reno issue as Hitting New Heights.
[post_title] => In Summerhill, Architect Brian O'Brian Crafts a Young Family's Forever Home [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => omasworks-crafts-a-forever-home-for-a-young-family [to_ping] => [pinged] => https://designlinesmagazine.com/whats-inside-our-newest-reno-issue-out-now/ [post_modified] => 2019-09-04 09:53:26 [post_modified_gmt] => 2019-09-04 13:53:26 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://designlinesmagazine.com/?p=37994 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [9] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 44131 [post_author] => 19 [post_date] => 2019-08-28 10:40:31 [post_date_gmt] => 2019-08-28 14:40:31 [post_content] => You know what they say: diamonds are a floor's best friend. This hexagonal engineered Oak flooring comes in three complementary shades that create unique patterns and three-dimensional effects. Darna, from $29 sq/ft. at Havwoods [post_title] => Bedeck Your House in Darna Hardwood [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => bedeck-your-house-in-darna-hardwood [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2019-08-28 14:03:59 [post_modified_gmt] => 2019-08-28 18:03:59 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://www.designlinesmagazine.com/?post_type=what&p=44131 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => what [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [10] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 44107 [post_author] => 19 [post_date] => 2019-08-28 09:58:12 [post_date_gmt] => 2019-08-28 13:58:12 [post_content] => Running a café was a challenge on this out-of-the-way downtown street, even before it became a construction site for the upcoming Nobu Residence. And so, Hotel Le Germain decided to take advantage of the city-imposed downtime on Mercer to change gears: switch out the café for a Victor's Private Dining Room flexible dining space that businesses and small condo dwellers with big party needs.
Originally conceived of by The DesignAgency in 2017, the idea was to connect the interior design studio’s characteristically bold concrete floor tiles that run through the original cafe with this, a new and easily manipulable private room. Intended to operate separately from Victor, the private dining room offers its own brand of cocktails, menus, and themed events. Headed by food and beverage manager Kasia Koziara, with a tight two-week turnaround scheduled, contractor Ainur Dervis was brought in to tear out the coffee station and replace it with a curved corner wet bar for Albert Chan, one of the city’s most serious mixologists. Dervis divided the new room from the main dining area with heavy Wedgewood-blue floor-to-ceiling curtains, removed the furniture and retained the early 20th-century knick-knacks.
Opening night in May featured one of the room-specific menus from veteran chef Lanny MacLeod, inspired by his grandmother’s Betty Crocker Cookbook, a reproduction of ‘60s cocktail fare, including bright-green pressed-juice gelatin pineapple salad, molded salmon mousse, and Rice Krispies Squares with chocolate chips and Moon Rocks. Anyone with an era-specific booking request for a party with a moderately sized guest list (standing-room capacity is about 70; 50 sit-down) can book directly with the Victor.
[post_title] => Victor's Private Dining Room Wants to Entertain You
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1 Dubbeldam Architecture + Design
Looking out through the A-frame glass windows on the top floor of this Dubbeldam Architecture + Design house is the homeowner's favourite activity. "It's like being in a tent," they say, "but better." The partially covered patio cut into the pitched roof is open to the sun, rain and stars, providing a unique connection to the outdoors.
Further reading: A Summerhill Home Explores Outer Space
2 Kohn Shnier Architects
Like it's neighbours, this Hillcrest house by Kohn Shnier Architects is gabled and made of brick. But that's where the similarities end. Windows on all four sides of the house provide illumination and an unbeatable cross-breeze in the summer, while high ceilings – as tall as four metres (13 feet) in the gables of the roof – add to its expansive feel.
Further reading: An Unusual Approach Leads To A Perfectly Ordered Home
3 Drew Mandel Architects
On a quiet street replete with 1920s houses in Moore Park, this Drew Mandel Architects design is a departure. And yet, the pitched roof reflects the peaks and valleys formed by neighbouring homes, and creates a stunning interior. Case in point: the master bedroom, positioned directly below the peak, is bookended by two outdoor patios.
Further reading: In Moore Park, A Modern Home With a Curiously Pitched Roof
4 Lebel & Bouliane
Lebel & Bouliane reclaimed this home's unused attic space for this dramatic renovation. Now, a mezzanine hoisted by steel rafters provides airy office space while defining an at-home art gallery on the wall below. Skylights bathe the vaulted ceiling in natural light--and reinforce the architect's vision of raising the roof, rather than adding a second floor.
Further reading: Raise the Roof: How a Lofty Ceiling Conquered the Attic
5 UUFie Architects
Toronto firm UUfie Architects (literally) reflected Ontario cottage typologies with this 7-metre-high pitched A-frame roof. Their addition to the Kawartha Lakes community uses mirrors to camouflage the house within its natural surroundings. Inside, the roof’s top portion becomes a narrow sleeping loft where wooden shingles playfully invite traditional exterior elements indoors.
Further reading: A Mirrored House on the Lake with Japanese Vibes
6 Seed Nine
Rhodes Avenue in Toronto's east end has a new, pointy neighbour in this house by Thomas Bollmann and Ingrid Jones of Seed Nine Photography. With the help of Takolan Design Group, the couple replaced a mold-infested bungalow with this Japanese and Scandinavian-inspired design. Fun fact: the metal siding helps control seasonal temps.
Further reading: A Photographer Adds a Picture-Perfect Home to Rhodes Avenue
7 Johnson Chou
Johnson Chou's design blends into this close-knit residential neighbourhood, yet stands out from it, thanks to surprising glass insertions that throw the brick facade into relief. Upstairs, the attic has become a killer master suite with a triangular window directly above a free-standing tub.
Further reading: This East End Abode Has Framed Views For Days — Inside and Out
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[post_content] => Best wishes for the holidays, from all of us at Designlines. We’re taking a short break, but will be back on January 4.
Meanwhile, here’s some year-end reading:
How Downtown Decorates for the Holidays
2015 in Review: Our Most Popular Stories
2015 in Review: Toronto's Best New Design Stores
Design Ideas from 12 Fresh, Real-Life Dining Rooms
[post_title] => Happy Holidays from Designlines
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https://designlinesmagazine.com/toronto-office-towers-christmas-decorations/
https://designlinesmagazine.com/photo-gallery-dining-rooms/
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