Holt Renfrew's Toronto flagship store
What: To re-establish themselves on a popular shopping street in Downtown Toronto, Holt Renfrew designed a facade that would give the store a unified presence.
Why it is important: With a flagship store located in of the most expensive shopping streets in Toronto, Holt Renfrew engaged Gensler architects to upgrade their window displays and disjointed facade to create a strong, unified visual presence that would not only showcase their luxury retail goods, but also create entry points, and let natural light into the interior spaces.
The first step in the renovation process was to rationalize the store's entire envelope and devise a strategy to unify the five separate buildings into one presence so that customers could see how large the store is from the street level. The new facade was constructed of limestone that was full of fossils and brought a sense of liveliness and a variation in texture between the stone panels.
For the glass elements, which included the replacement of the existing dark and gloomy window displays and the revitalization of a main entrance, large panels that allowed for minimal joints and no mullions were used. The clear glass allowed ample views into the store that displayed the merchandise inside, and also brought in natural light. Overall, the project took three years.