Mad Men, New Project

The genius of the Mad Men series is no secret, but we are constantly amazed and inspired by the flawless set designs and costuming.  This enhanced aesthetic of the late fifties and early sixties speaks of refined decadence, sophistication and sensuality.

An exciting new restaurant and bar project for a boutique hotel (to be announced shortly) will take a few cues from this gorgeous vision.

Munich Reinsurance_Bay Street Office 16 - FINAL PHOTOS

 

 

The early hour of the photo shoot allowed Tom to capture several frames of a quiet office before people would start to stream in from the elevators.  As the sun rose over the lake the sky vibrated in tones of fuchsia and cobalt, and the balconies of the apartment building visible behind the CEO's desk were cast in silhouette, echoing the black and white shapes in the Michael Burges piece in the foreground.  The view of City Hall from above was both majestic and serene at dawn, with the Bay Street traders already rushing to get coffee below.

Photography by Tom Arban.

Sketchbook 18

Munich Reinsurance_Bay Street Office 15

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We are headed to Munch Re for a 6 am photo shoot with the very talented photographer Tom Arban.  Thank you Tom!

Koerner Hall, Chopin

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Wow.  We love the new Koerner Hall at the Royal Conservatory of Music - very skillfully designed - a wonderful space to enjoy music. We were fortunate enough to attend the gala concert concluding the third Canadian Chopin competition, something that takes place just once every five years.  The virtuosity of the young performers was a pleasure to hear.

The spatial planning of the lobbies, the materials palette, thoughtful detailing, and the resolution between the new building and the old Conservatory are all very well done in our opinion.  A particularly nice moment is when the large pivoting glass doors open at intermission to allow for a few moments on the balcony that overlooks Philosopher's Walk.

And, Pause

Simply because there is a flush blue sky and the hint of warmth and energy in the air we have decided to pay tribute to our version of paradise: Tulum Mexico.  Perhaps this is an entreaty to the 'vacation gods' to reveal a small window so that we can return there for a few restorative days in the sun, in order to catch up on reading (in a hammock, naturally), lengthen the gaze and take in the horizon, and indulge in those ridiculously delicious shrimp tacos with a side of ceviche in lime juice.  Relevant to design?  Of course!  Simple pleasures, beauty, and gorgeous food are always at the forefront of our design preoccupations.

Trinity Bellwoods House 2

We returned to the Trinity Bellwoods house to see how it is faring a year later - it is great to see a project that has been lived in after the construction dust settles.  For a family with young twins and busy parents, the spaces seem to be working very well.

Cityscape Wallpaper in AZURE

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The Cityscape wallpaper, designed through Backyard Design and used throughout the W Hotel in Hoboken, has been featured on the AZURE web blog!

Take a look here:

Munich Reinsurance_Bay Street Office 13 - In Progress

REGINE SCHUMANN

MICHAEL BURGES

Works by Regine Schumann, Juergen Paas and Michael Burges were hung today by Galerie Lausberg at the Munich Re offices.  Stunning!  We also considered a beautiful white piece by Kuno Gonschior but in the end decided on the Burges to place over the green Bensen Pool table and Keilhauer Canal chairs - with the oblique lighting it is so kinetic and ethereal, a perfect match.

What fortune to be able to find and incorporate cutting edge art of this caliber as part of the office design.

Munich Reinsurance_Bay Street Office 13 - In Progress

DIETER BALZER 'HYBRID'
 

JUERGEN PAAS 'SKETCHBOOK'

The reception area at Munich Re on Bay Street is nearing completion; full height lacquered pivoting doors will be installed, the glass wall behind the desk will have sandblast film applied, and the stone base around the desk is being completed.  

Galerie Lausberg has generously allowed us to view pieces in situ and we spent the afternoon hanging the favorites; we have selected pieces that are strikingly (and deceptively) simple with vivid colours, crisp layers and geometry - all are rigorous and impeccably made.  We have strived to achieve a sense of order, subtle richness and generosity to the space with the new furnishings, millwork, ceiling, artwork and materials.  

Dieter Balzer's 'Hybrid' is spectacular; we love that it is doubled in the glass Bensen Pool tables.  Juergen Paas' framed sketchbooks - documents as a meditation on colour archiving - are wonderfully direct and yet mysterious with their hidden pages, heavy zinc frames and primary colours.  Elsewhere we are hanging Hans Kotter's vivid 'Chromatic Plants' in the main boardroom, three of Regine Schumann's amazing 'Colourmirror Soft' acrylic boxes behind the Florence Knoll Oval table, and - very exciting - one of Michael Burges' 'Virtual Space Work' boxes behind the CEO's chair in her office.