Restaurant Design Inspired by India’s Scenery Throughout the Seasons

This week’s instalment of the Project of the Week series features a restaurant design by 2022 SBID Awards Finalist, Kotak Design.

What was the client’s brief? 

Our client and their executive chef had already established a successful restaurant group in India, and now they want to break into the lucrative British hospitality industry.

When the COVID pandemic hit the United Kingdom, it impacted negatively on the restaurant industry, but our patrons were fortunate enough to stumble onto this beautiful St. Johns Wood venue. To showcase the seasonal food of the Indian subcontinent, the brief read, “build a destination Mayfair restaurant in St. Johns Wood.”

What inspired the design of the project?

As designers, we take pleasure in hearing the stories our clients have to tell via the environments we create for them. Our client desired to highlight contemporary Indian cuisines that reflected the diversity of India’s seasonal produce. We used this concept as a foundation for the restaurant’s branding and ambiance, which we then reflected through the use of a variety of features, including but not limited to lighting, installations, art, the ceiling, etc.

We found a lot of inspiration in the notion of “Ritu” (means seasons). Whether it’s the colour distinction between the areas of seating, an attempt to re-create the verdant scenery of southern India, the setting sun over a wheat field in the north, or the winding dunes of the Rajasthani desert, every detail has been carefully considered. The logo’s six-sided motif was inspired by India’s diverse seasonal patterns and reinterpreted to fit the western four-season format.

What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?

We believe the difficulty is in developing a coherent plan for the restaurant’s future given its history of shifting uses. The isolated location of the bar on a lower level, the low ceiling in the lobby, and the prevalence of transitional spaces all led to a feeling of disconnection.

We moved the entrance to the front of the building and installed a raindrop chandelier to make the space more inviting. It’s highly unlikely that regulars will recognise the eatery from its former incarnation. A primary focus of our interior design firm is the development of fully immersive environments. Mr. Srivastava, the owner, has shown tremendous confidence and support in us during this process.

What was your team’s highlight of the project?

The foundation of our interior design studio is the creation of interactive and narrative environments. To be able to do so in a small space while also creating a visual connection that celebrates the hospitality culture.

We’d like to highlight and offer our special thanks to Jaysam contractors for their lovely feature ceilings, Luum for the gorgeous Indian monsoon chandelier in the conservatory, Michele McKinney for her meticulous leaf installation, and Phillip Jeffries, Ted Todd, and Domus for the impeccable final touches (and not restricted to).

Why did you enter this project into the SBID Awards?

An entry into awards is to recognise everyone who contributed to the successful completion of the project. To be recognised as an SBID finalist is a testament to the faith that the client placed in us to carry out their vision.

Questions answered by Ravi Kotak, Founder & Design Director, Kotak Design.

The annual unveiling of the Dulux Colour of the Year is a culmination of months of trend analysis from visiting exhibitions and design fairs, as well as keeping an eye on the social, cultural and economic trends to decipher the tones that capture the moment. We caught up with Heleen Van Gent, Creative Director Global of AkzoNobel’s Aesthetic Centre that is responsible for coming up with the Colour of the Year, to find out more about her role and the process behind choosing the famous Dulux Colour of the Year.

What is The AkzoNobel Global Aesthetic Centre?

Based in the Netherlands, the AkzoNobel Global Aesthetic Centre is our hub for colour trend analysis, colour research and design and art direction. For the past 30 years, the team has worked year-round, translating social trends into colour trends for the 150 countries where AkzoNobel operates.

How long have you worked at AkzoNobel and what was your path to your current role?

I have worked at AkzoNobel for just over 13 years and I am the Creative Director of the Global Aesthetic Centre.

My journey started in the magazine industry in the Netherlands. I had worked in partnership with AkzoNobel on a project and this gave me my first glimpse of the Global Aesthetic Centre. From then on, I knew that this was the job for me.

I have always had an interest in making the everyday beautiful and helping people introduce wonderful things into their living environment. I think the effect colour can have on your mood and emotions is often underestimated. A lick of paint is an excellent and relatively inexpensive way to make a tremendous impact on our lives.

Who was involved in choosing this year’s colour?

Aside from our team at the Global Aesthetic Centre, we bring together a panel of design experts from across the globe. Each member brings with them insights from their culture, way of living and how they see the year ahead.

To ensure objectivity, we look to design experts who are connected to AkzoNobel in some way but are not key customers. This is important as we need to obtain their honest professional opinions and insights to ensure that the colour chosen works in all the countries we operate in.

Why is ColourFutures such an important part of the AkzoNobel calendar?

When designing the Colour of the Year we try to capture the moment in just one colour, which, as you can imagine, isn’t a simple task. It takes almost a whole year to design the final colour, with input from all global outposts of AkzoNobel before a final decision is made. While the process is largely confined to the Global Aesthetic Centre, we do see it as a team effort for the whole company and professional panel.

What is the process for choosing the Dulux Colour of the Year?

The process of choosing the Colour of the Year is constant. Our in-house team and the design experts we work with are out visiting exhibitions and design fairs, as well as keeping an eye on the social, cultural, and economic trends. We then come together for a three-day session where we discuss what we’ve seen and share what we believe will be influential over the coming year.

We start the three-day process by asking the team questions like what keeps them awake at night or what makes them happy (since they are just as much consumers as anyone else).

This helps us to get to the root of the issues that the world is facing today. This year, we were inspired by Mother Nature fighting back – with floods and drought featuring heavily in current affairs and nature being used to inspire popular interior designs.

The discussions also led us to see that yellow was dominating. We therefore knew that this would be the base of our Colour of the Year 2023 – we just didn’t know the exact shade. Based on this insight, we came up with Wild WonderTM: a positive, glowing natural tone that connects us with nature. We see this colour as a soft gold with hints of green inspired by fresh seed pods and harvest grain.

Our discussions also help us create the four colour palettes that we launch alongside the Colour of the Year – identifying complementary shades that are all inspired by the same insight and behavioural trends. This year our four colour stories are:

• Lush palette – has a mental health focus with colours inspired by plant-filled habitats of gardens, forests and woodlands
• Buzz palette – inspired by collective thinking, celebrating diversity and adding joy, unity, and connectivity
• Raw palette – draws from bio-inspiration and what nature can teach us and reflects on the richness of resources that nature offers
• Flow palette – focuses on the cycles of life and brings a feeling of fluidity, freshness and equilibrium

Where do you see the colour being used in practice?

We make sure that the Colour of the Year and its complementary palettes can be used in any setting – from the domestic home through to commercial premises across education, healthcare, hospitality, office and residential sectors. For example, this year’s Buzz palette with its rich, diverse and joyful colours is perfectly suited for the hospitality sector. We think a hotel room or lobby painted in this bright palette will be sure to bring a smile to someone’s face.

Flow on the other hand has more subtle and timeless colours that perform well in the education sector. Both early year education settings, up to teenagers and university students can benefit from this palette thanks to its roundness and friendliness.

What was your favourite moment from this year’s Colour of the Year process?

This answer is twofold. The first moment is when we’ve settled on a story. This is no mean feat, as we have to make sure that everyone is on board and aligned with the vision.

The second moment is our “country call” where we present our new colour palette, way of thinking and messaging map to our AkzoNobel colleagues around the world. This is an opportunity for them to push back if they think the colour might not work in their region which always makes me nervous. However, when I saw everyone nodding their head and buying into the colour story, I knew we’d cracked it and found something that resonates with everyone.

For more information about Dulux’s Colour of the Year, please visit: www.duluxtrade.co.uk/COTY23

To download the ColourFutures™ 2023 Specifier Brochure, click here.

Questions answered by Heleen Van Gent, Creative Director, AkzoNobel’s Global Aesthetic Centre.

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Nora Chou is a luxury interior designer working on projects internationally in both the residential and hospitality industry. Focusing on creating layered moments through design, her mission is to create a sense of warmth, life and texture into her designs. Having grown her roots in Hong Kong and proceeding to live in equally vibrant cities including London and New York, she offers a certain cultural and lifestyle sensibility to the way she approaches creating interiors for her clients.

Sky and Earth is a rug collection inspired by colours, life and energy we find in the great outdoors. The handpicked palettes by Nora Chou (“Sunrise”, “Dusk” and “Terra”) encourage colours to be brought into our interior spaces.

Bring in your outdoors.

What was the process of designing Sky & Earth?

When I was first approached by Jeff, the managing director of Silk Avenue, to design a rug for their designer profile range, there were many ideas that came to mind. I find rugs often help ground a space by connecting the interior palette of your chosen furnishings or to make a new statement through colour and texture. From an aesthetic perspective it’s quite similar to how paintings interact with spaces. However, rugs add an additional softness into interiors.

Sky & Earth came to fruition during the Covid lockdown period. Inspired by the Great Outdoors, it is a rug collection that is all about bringing the colours and textures from nature into our interior spaces. From the get-go, I knew that I wanted to create a collection to include a broad range of designs that would fit within different settings whether it be a traditional country house, or a contemporary set up in a high-rise apartment. During the creative process, I found it important to create a collection that is a family of designs and a continuation of the narrative, allowing me to develop and experiment with the creative direction.

The 6 designs from Sky & Earth are captured moments that can be layered into interiors through the hand-picked palettes I have personally selected (“Sunrise”, “Dusk” and Terra”). The designs can also be completely customized to a palette of your choosing. 

Is there anything else we should know about the rugs? 

Silk Avenue manufactures the hand-tufted rugs in Nepal and handles all shipping internationally.

The designs from Sky & Earth are constructed of various compositions. For example, “Spring Buds” has a composition of 100% hand-tufted wool, which is great for hospitality settings and households with children. Generally speaking, wool is low maintenance, bounces back into its original state after being walked on and is typically less flammable than other fibers. The matte finish of wool also allows the colours of the rug to appear richer and deeper.

There are also other designs from the collection with a combination composition of wool and bamboo silk. – “Petals”, “Hydrangea”, “Flow Ombre” “Flow Solid” and “Dots Play”. In these designs certain areas of the rugs are accentuated with bamboo silk and raised pile heights. The slight sheen against the matte background mimics the way light is often reflected through nature and is a play on both texture and surface.

Do the rugs come in different sizes?

All of the designs can be customized to any size to suit your interiors. However, we do have standard sizes with the latest pricing that can be found at: www.norachou.com/collection

How can someone place an order?

Send an email to [email protected] and [email protected] specifying the design, size and palette of your choosing. Silk Avenue will guide you through the process from there!

Photo Credit: Felix Speller

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This week’s instalment of the Project of the Week series features a historic hotel suite design by 2022 SBID Awards Finalist, CHIL Interior Design.

Known as Ottawa’s Castle, Fairmont Château Laurier’s historical presence towers over the Canadian city. CHIL Interior Design was commissioned to bring the historic Karsh Suite into the new century. The suite was named after Yousuf Karsh, famed photographer who maintained his studio and residence in the hotel for many years, we drew direct inspiration from this visionary to create a design for the suite that is as bold and unforgettable as the icon himself. Special attention was necessary to respect the original early 20th century historical details of the hotel, while delicately positioning this suite in a more forward looking aesthetic. Of the highest importance, the new interior renovation, celebrates the unique character of this local landmark while, in the same breath, accentuates the beautiful and luxurious details that portrays “Canada’s tradition of grandeur”.

What was the client’s brief? 

The client wanted the design to fit the Fairmont brand standard on aesthetic, quality, and functionality. In addition to basing the concept on the legendary icon that the suite was named after, photographer Yousuf Karsh, the client also highlighted the need to respect the wishes of Yousuf Karsh’s wife Mrs. Estrellita Karsh on the suite design. It was also important to the client to bring the suites into the 21st century while keeping a strong respect and inspiration for the early 20th century.

What inspired the design of the project?

Famed photographer Yousuf Karsh who maintained his residence and photography studio in that exact suite for many years: his viewpoints on art, as well as his lifestyle.

What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?

Due to the hotel being a heritage building as well as respecting Mrs. Estrellita Karsh’s wishes to keep all the original framing and positions of the Karsh portraits, there were lots of restrictions to the layout. However, in order to bring modernity into the suites, we designed the layout to revolve around these challenges, such as completely redesigning the primary bathroom and  expanding that footprint to cater to modern travellers’ needs.

What was your team’s highlight of the project?

Close collaboration with the Fairmont brand and client allowed us to achieve a desired outcome that fits well with the hotel brand aesthetic despite the pandemic starting in the process of renovation – it’s a highlight to know our emphasis on clear design and communications is especially appreciated as we work remotely.

Why did you enter this project into the SBID Awards?

The SBID Awards is one of the most prestigious international interior design awards. It is always an honour to be recognized by such a high calibre of industry expert panel and we look forward to submitting our entries every year.

Questions answered by Karen Wong, Senior Associate, & Adèle Rankin, Principal & Global Design Lead, CHIL Interior Design.

MOD+ by GRAFF Designs, a rich and diversified modular collection that offers endless customisation possibilities. Allowing a high degree of creative freedom with luxury custom finishes, materials and configurations, MOD+ unlocks up to 65 000 possible combinations – a collection like no other.

Comprising 55 bathroom products for the washbasin, bathtub and shower areas, in which each element can be completely customised GRAFF has created its MOD+ Collection Configurator to fully exhibit the collection’s potential. An online tool to help design and specify, personalisation options include handle detailing, finishes, materials, spout size and mounting type.

MOD+ offers 20 unique finishes, including Gunmetal, Matt White or Vintage Brushed Brass, or for that extra special touch, a unique 24 K gold finish. Handles materials include variations of Tuscan marble including Storm Black, Forest Green and Smoky White.

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Alexander Purcell, a notable British architectural designer, is pleased to introduce the Henley Collection—a sleek and nautically informed array of furniture. Inspired by the racing boats that enable one to enjoy the river, sea, or lake, the Henley Collection is perfect for contemporary homes looking for a sophisticated yet welcoming aesthetic. With its aquatically inspired designs and luxurious materials, the Henley is ideal for any modern home looking to add some flair.

The Henley collection debuted in London with the opening of the new Pavoni flagship showroom at Design Centre Chelsea Harbour on September 5. The showroom carries the entire collection, with all of the upholstered pieces customized with Pavoni’s fine Italian vegetable tanned luxury leathers.

The inspiration for the Henley is both quite personal as well as a result of Purcell’s fascination with classic boat design. In fact, the seed for the collection goes way back: In 1998 he and his teammates entered the famous Henley Regatta. His college having not won since 1962, this year proved to be different. Established in 1839, the world-renowned rowing event is held annually on the River Thames in the town of Henley-on-Thames and attracts participants from all over the world. Purcell and his eight ended up winning the extremely competitive Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup. Celebrating that feat a few years ago as the team marked the 20th anniversary of their win, Purcell was driven to bring the aqua-dynamic forms and language of racing boats into his furniture collection and so was born the Henley.

The iconic Riva yacht also makes its mark on the collection. Purcell has always loved the luxury wooden runabout built by Italian yacht builder Riva. The shape, speed, beauty, and craftsmanship of their namesake boat, produced from 1962-1996, earned it praise as the Ferrari of the boat world. The vintage yachts are now coveted by boat lovers worldwide.

With the new Henley collection, the formal nods toward the shape of oars and rowing boat hulls, as well as the elegant silhouettes of the Riva boat are obvious. It all started with the chair arm and its upholstery detail—the rest of the array was built off that one detail with the goal of creating pieces that can be enjoyed both functionally and visually. The collection launches with four designs:

• The Henley Dining Chair – the jumping off point for the whole collection, the chair features a gently rounded back composed of an upholstered upper half and cut-out lower half, all framed in walnut or oak, that wraps around the sides to meet the upholstered arm front. Particular attention has been paid to the back of these dining chairs as ultimately that the direction in which you actually view them when around a table. Tapered wooden legs and elegant chamfer details add to the stylish look and help create a dashing silhouette when viewed from any angle. The dining chair has a sleek appearance and is a unique piece that will add personality to any space.
• The Henley Dining Table – the exquisitely crafted warm walnut top gently tapers at the edge, a slope modelled on boat hulls, particularly that of the wooden back of a Riva yacht. The dramatically bisected base utilizes its negative space to create the dynamic illusion that the table is gliding through the water. The two feet are made of an aluminium which can be lacquered or brushed. The table is available in a round or rectangular shape and an array of Atelier Purcell oak and walnut finishes.
• The Henley Lounge Chair – an elegant chair that would be equally at home welcoming guests in a living room or sitting fireside in a den or bedroom. Informed by the nautical detailing of the Henley dining chair but with a lower profile and featuring a roomier seat with a gently sloped back that wraps the sitter in a graceful embrace. A back pillow is included and an ottoman will be added to the collection soon.
• Henley Bar & Counter Stools – slender armless stools with the same maritime inspirations as the Henley dining and lounge chairs. These stylish and effortlessly modern stools are available in bar height (36 inches) or counter height (40 inches) and are made from 100% solid hardwood. This contemporary stool is perfect for any setting: at home, in your office, bars or restaurant.

The Henley Collection is available now at fine to-the-trade showrooms in the U.S. including B. Peterson in Palm Beach, De Sousa Hughes in San Francisco, Dennis Miller in New York, MOD in Denver, Thomas Lavin in Los Angeles and Laguna, and Paul+ in Atlanta. For more information on the Henley and Alexander Purcell, please visit atelierpurcell.com

Cover image: Henley Dining Chairs & Henley Rectangular Dining Table

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This week’s instalment of the Project of the Week series features a renovated vibrant hotel design by 2022 SBID Awards Finalist, Hirsch Bedner Associates.

Canopy by Hilton Hotel in Qujiang Xi’an conveys the splendid leisure and carnival entertainment of the prosperous Tang Dynasty.

The central premise of the design stems from the Chinese idiom 鲜衣怒马 xiānyī nùmǎ, which loosely translates to “wearing beautiful garments and riding powerful horses”. With this concept in mind, the interiors celebrate the vibrant fashion and design of the prosperous Tang Dynasty that for centuries has been integrated into the spiritual language of Xi’an’s neighborhoods, and now blends exquisitely with the opulent aesthetics of the Canopy brand.

The xiānyī nùmǎ motif is unraveled throughout the hotel style through the use of joyful colors and patterns inspired by Tang-era fabrics and artwork. By fusing the ancient with the modern to create a unique design story, the hotel creates a fresh perspective on historical elements, allowing people to enjoy traditional culture in a rejuvenated, vibrant, and fun way.

What was the client’s brief? 

The initial brief received by clients was to bring the rich historical, traditional and cultural background of the place into the project renovation, and to align it to the hotel brand style and feeling.

Canopy by Hilton conveys the brand lifestyle that offers the guests comfort, thoughtful details, an energizing atmosphere and a uniquely local experience, as extension of the local neighbourhood.

Storytelling has been used to design the hotel allowing guest to discover the delightful neighbourhood as an ‘explorer’, and reinterpreting the traditional design language for modern appreciation.

What inspired the design of the project?

Canopy by Hilton Xi’an is located in the Qujiang New District, a new cultural hub and economic center of the historic city. The hotel is connected to the Grand Tang Mall, a fabulous pedestrian street with myriad cultural sights and recreational activities.

The central premise of the design stems from the Chinese idiom “鲜衣怒马 xiānyī nùmǎ”, which loosely translates to “wearing beautiful garments and riding powerful horses”. With this concept in mind, the design team set out to celebrate the vibrant fashion and design of the prosperous Tang Dynasty that for centuries has been integrated into the spiritual language of Xi’an’s neighborhoods, and now blends exquisitely with the opulent aesthetics of the Canopy brand.

The xiānyī nùmǎ motif is unraveled throughout the hotel style through the use of joyful colors and patterns inspired by Tang-era fabrics and artwork. By fusing the ancient with the modern to create a unique design story, the hotel creates a fresh perspective on historical elements, allowing people to enjoy traditional culture in a rejuvenated, vibrant, and fun way.

By adopting the easy-going lifestyle of Xi’an and the cultural elements of the city’s historic legacy, the hotel acts as an extension of the local neighborhood.

What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?

As most of the projects, the team had to deal with a tight timeline on redesigning the whole hotel without compromising the construction programme.

What was your team’s highlight of the project?

Canopy by Hilton Xi’an conveys the splendid leisure and carnival entertainment of the prosperous Tang Dynasty.

The hotel creates a new perspective that allows people to reveal the traditional culture in a way that is vibrant, fun and young, it adopts the easy-going Xi’an characteristic that enhance the vibe of the area it resides in.

When guests check in at the arrival lobby, they are surrounded by artwork that tells the story of stylishly dressed ancestors taking a leisurely stroll through the neighborhood. The wooden roof and the reception canopy are accented with brass details, evoking a sense of prosperity and opulence of the city’s ancient East and West markets.

Every Canopy by Hilton is built around the Canopy Central atrium, which acts as the hub of the hotel’s main public areas. The different spaces flow naturally into one another through the use of a flexible design plan so that all of the public spaces are welcoming and adaptable to guests’ needs. The use of a consistent design language and ample natural light creates a sense of unison as guests move from the reception area to the bar to the lounge and the multifunction areas.

The IN TOWN Café features a delectable éclair LAB where signature eclairs are decorated to-order in front of the guests. The design draws on elements from the Shangsi Festival, when royals, literati, and commoners alike would travel to the Qujiang area to enjoy a pageant of music, song, and dance. To reflect the joyful mood of the festival, the café makes ample use of bold colors accented by brass metal details and detailed vibrant Tang-era patterns in the artwork. The wall behind the éclair LAB is adorned with a mural depicting contemporary illustrations of colorful tea and coffee cups against a backdrop of Tang Dynasty buildings in the style of a traditional Chinese painting.

The Restaurant Ambrosia is designed in an unapologetically bold and eccentric style, has a nostalgic feel with a nod to ancient traditional elements cleverly integrated into the contemporary interior design. This creates the explorable vibe and flavor that will create memorable moments to their journey. One wall of the restaurant is adorned with a stunning mural depicting bustling scenes of work and leisure in the ancient capital, painted in a traditional Tang Dynasty style.

Why did you enter this project into the SBID Awards?

The SBID International Design Awards are a prestigious recognition of excellence within the interior design industry across products, interiors and fit out.

Over a decade on, the Awards has firmly established itself as one of the most prestigious interior design Awards in the global design calendar. It represents the outstanding industry achievements and top quality design services that continue to inspire the profession.

Questions answered by Flavio Patino, Associate, HBA Hong Kong.

Continuing to expand on its contemporary design offering, sofa.com is delighted to introduce its AW22 collection to a trade audience.

Comprising of four new designs across upholstered seating catering for a range of design specifications across commercial and residential projects. The collection includes the new hero range, Tiffany, a vintage-inspired armchair, Shelby, and two new stylish dining chairs, Lola and Piper all available in 75+ fabric options as well as COM to create bespoke options to allow designers breadth of choice.

Inspired by modern renaissance design – a trend which integrates contemporary shapes with classic detailing to bring together refreshing pieces with a sense of refinement, glamour and a touch of charm from the Art Deco era – each piece incorporates an element of pleated stitching which unites the new look across the collection.

Also including expansions upon two of sofa.com’s bestselling designs, the Larsen armchair and Teddy chaise join AW22. All-time favourites in the sofa range, these pieces offer a more traditional aesthetic to cater for a variety of residential projects.

The new colour palette for the season includes velvets in warming autumnal tones – vibrant oranges, forest greens and salmon pinks – alongside a range of weaves in pared-back neutrals and subtle blues and greens. These palettes will help create differing interior styles from modern luxe to a more organic, minimalist aesthetic.

Speaking on the collection, trade development manager Laura Tarratt comments:

“Seating is at the core of this collection and we wanted to ensure each sofa, dining seat or armchair would stand alone as a beautiful, functional residential piece but also work to create a statement within restaurants, bars, office meeting room or set the scene in a hotel lobby. The continued expansion of our dining collection has proven popular with sales increasing season upon season. We also wanted to ensure we weren’t compromising on comfort or style, and have focussed on ensuring optimal dimensions and fillings to create the ultimate design combination of ergonomically sound and elegant. Boasting over 75 fabrics and the option to upholster all pieces in COM, our in-house team can fulfil any project brief becoming a one-stop shop for our growing interior designer clientele base.”

Handmade-to-order in just 4-6 weeks – now available online and in store.

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This week’s instalment of the Project of the Week series features an immersive and experiential retail design by 2022 SBID Awards Finalist, II BY IV DESIGN.

In today’s contemporary culture, the retail experience has migrated from visual to experiential. Successful products are presented in immersive environments with new possibilities. Following this method, for the Central Park development in Toronto, a Presentation Pavilion was constructed on the site. It is designed as a time capsule—a striking triangular-shaped building that transports the prospective residents to their forthcoming life. Through a curated journey, the prospective residents get to imagine how their experience would be in this nature-inspired, wellness-focused development.

Set to turn into a vibrant cultural hub for the community, this pavilion’s permanency confirms the development’s environmentally-conscious vision: refining the contemporary lifestyle. Inside, outfitted in natural materials and cutting-edge green prototypes, an orchestrated retail journey weaves thoughtful moments of theatre, interactive installations, and a series of vignettes. The visitors are invited to touch, play, feel, and visualize their promising life in the anticipated complex. They learn the significance of connecting with nature, find unit layouts, see the amenities, get excited about the perks, and customize their dream home. This cohesive design strategy visually soothes the senses, offering a pleasant experience and representing the ethos of the development.

What was the client’s brief? 

Central Park development in Toronto—its first 31-storey residential tower—offers a nature-inspired lifestyle. It is highly sustainable, wellness-focused, and connected to the urban bustle yet nestled in the ravine system. As the interior designers of this soon-to-be-constructed high-rise, we were tasked with designing the interiors of the development’s sales center, which had to stand for the ethos of its future-forward vision. We wanted it to be suggestive of the lifestyle at Central Park—connected to nature, environmentally conscious, timelessly elegant, and outfitted in natural materials. We also aimed to design an unparalleled experience with interactive installations and to-scale vignettes for an immersive retail journey.

What inspired the design of the project?

The main inspiration for the development, and the pavilion, in particular, is our connection to nature and how this connection would affect our wellness in life. Through the design strategy, we intended to create more than just a sales canter, delivering a joyful, immersive atmosphere that the patrons would want to spend time in, stay for a while, and engage with its various features. The permanency of the pavilion also excited our team, designing a place that won’t get demolished but instead become a cultural destination for the Toronto community.

What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?

Despite the pandemic, due to the team’s high levels of planning and coordination, we didn’t run into any hurdles throughout the process. The project was delivered on time/budget, with 85% of the suites sold within the first ten days of the opening of the pavilion.

What was your team’s highlight of the project?

Our team set out to design a new type of sales center for the Central Park development. We conducted extensive research about the new methods of immersive retail design. For all of us, at II BY IV DESIGN, witnessing the execution of the project during the Covid-19 Pandemic was a highlight. And, it is always gratifying to see the influence of our work as most of the residential suites were sold in such a short time.

Why did you enter this project into the SBID Awards?

SBID Awards bring together the design community every year, showcasing design excellence across various interior sectors. SBID promotes best practices for the interior design profession while setting the tone for the industry through its award program annually. At our studio, we look forward to learning about other projects worldwide, reading their story, seeing the curated visuals, and voting on those that respond with creativity and technical execution. It’s a celebration of design—the kind of design that is shaping the future. We are thrilled and honoured to have four of our projects amongst the finalists. It’s a great company of peers to be in every year.

Questions answered by Dan Menchions, Partner, II BY IV DESIGN.