The new Rolex boutique in Toronto has opened its doors, showcasing a dynamic, wavy façade courtesy of locally based architecture studio Partisans. The store design is as visually striking as it is architecturally ambitious, occupying the ground level of a modernist architecture high-rise on the city’s coveted shopping strip, Bloor Street.
Behind the wavy façade of the Rolex boutique in Toronto
Partisans, headed by Alex Josephson, is no stranger to experimental, eye-catching designs. The studio’s impressive Canvas House, also in Toronto, stands out in a similar way through its woven brick frontage. With this latest project for Rolex, the team used a CNC parametric composition that has been etched into the façade's limestone cladding through an algorithmic design developed in collaboration with computational designer Arturo Tedeschi.
Making the most of cutting-edge, digital technologies, Partisans creates parallels through its design with its client's heritage in high-precision craft.
The team write: 'Against the steel of the modernist high-rise, the digitally fabricated limestones – sculpted fluidly – offer a magnetic juxtaposition. Integrated down into the mullions of the storefront, the rhythm of the columns recalls the patterns of a watch’s band links.'
Related article
They continue: 'As the mullions trace down the exterior of the high-rise, they begin to slowly bend into subtle and graceful arcs that capture the essence between the existing structure and the distinctive Rolex geometries.'
Meanwhile, inside, clean, luxurious and minimalist surfaces serve as the perfect backdrop for the Rolex watches within the custom displays – at the same time, cleverly allowing for spaces that cater to a variety of different functions, spanning both public and private shopping experiences.
-
The Emory, RSHP’s first luxury hotel in London, is a rising starNew London hotel The Emory presents the perfect showcase of RSHP’s signature functionalist style and hospitality group Maybourne’s elevated luxury
-
‘Born in Oasi Zegna: The Book’ looks back to the house’s Alpine rootsPublished by Rizzoli, ‘Born in Oasi Zegna’ looks towards the Oasi Zegna natural territory in the Italian Alps, where ZEGNA opened its first wool mill in 1910 and has since fostered a thriving natural ecosystem of more than 500,000 trees
-
The New York art exhibitions to see nowFrom MoMA to the smaller spaces, here are the best New York art exhibitions to catch before they close
-
Perron Design’s bespoke mountain retreat in Quebec is a house that thinks it’s a hotelChalet Bertha is a bespoke mountain retreat set at the top of Quebec’s famous Le Massif de Charlevoix resort, inspired by the interiors of the world’s best boutique hotels
-
Downs House II inspires West Coast Modern campaign in VancouverDowns House II, currently on the market in Vancouver, inspires a West Coast Modern campaign to save the modernist landmark
-
Promenade Samuel-de Champlain is a riverside boulevard championing urban greenPromenade Samuel-de Champlain in Quebec gives the city’s river back to its community, transforming a previously neglected urban space
-
Chez Léon is a contemporary Canadian retreat in the Quebec countrysideThis Canadian retreat, an elegant update of the classic cabin in the woods, is part ski lodge, part tree house, combining traditional materials and stunning views with a light footprint
-
House in High Park is a Toronto home to be discovered slowlyHouse in High Park by Ian MacDonald Architect is a new-build home in Toronto that takes a problematic plot and transforms it into an exhilarating, contemporary residence
-
This Québec school evokes a calming atmosphere in tune with natureThis redesigned Québec school inspires a new paradigm in its architecture genre by creating a welcoming, home-like and nature-inspired environment
-
Canvas House’s wavy brick façade stands out in its suburban Toronto contextCanvas House by Partisans brings a wavy brick façade to its sleepy Toronto suburban neighbourhood
-
Discover Dyde House, a lesser known Arthur Erickson gemDyde House by modernist architect Arthur Erickson is celebrated in a new film, premiered in Canada
