Fisher & Paykel’s first Canadian flagship, housed in the Boiler House of the Former Toronto Carpet Manufacturing Company in Liberty Village, merges historical preservation with modern ideas. Our goal was to honor Toronto’s architectural heritage while showcasing Fisher & Paykel’s appliances in a refined, contemporary setting.
To preserve the integrity of the original structure, new architectural interventions were deliberately detached from the existing walls, allowing the historic fabric to stand on its own. This creates a dialogue between the rough industrial character of the building and the clean, minimalistic elements introduced within. The heritage shell serves as a backdrop for a design language that balances raw sophistication with precise craftsmanship.
The triple-height interior provided an opportunity to explore contrasts—intimacy within openness, privacy versus collaboration, and grit against polish. Various spatial experiences were created through material layering, manipulating light and sound, and employing moments of compression and expansion, ensuring that each culinary space offers a distinct atmosphere.
At the heart of the Experience Centre is the Social Kitchen, designed for culinary workshops and exclusive events. Defined by a floating wood shroud over a stainless-steel island, it creates an intimate gathering space within the grand industrial volume. Clad in charred timber on the exterior and warm-hued white oak within, this sculpted form frames views of the soaring ceiling beyond, reinforcing the interplay between scale, materiality, and ambiance. It is just one example of the contrasting elements found throughout the Experience Centre highlighting the beauty between refined minimalism and raw sophistication.
Clients: Fisher & Paykel Canada
Design Team: Omar Gandhi, Scott Sampson, John Gray Thomson, Stephanie Hosein, Jeff Shaw, Jeff Walker in partnership with Fisher & Paykel Design Team and Alt Group
Contractor / Trades: Ripple Projects (GC), Atelier Balmas (Plaster), York Fabrica (Stone), Wired Up Inc. (AV/IT), Disal Contracting & Design Limited (Framing, Drywall and Acoustic Ceilings), Strada Electric (Electricians)
Luxury Kitchen Partners: Gibson Greenwood (All items other than those supplied by Henrybuilt and Arclinea), Henry Built (Professional Kitchen and Island), Arclinea (Contemporary Kitchen Island)
Floral Artist: Timberlost
Lighting Design: Marcel Dion Lighting Design
Structural Engineer: Honeycomb Group
MEP: Quasar Consulting Group
Security:Tyco Integrated Fire & Security (Johnson Controls)
Building Code: Vortex Fire
Custom Furniture Collaborator: Christian Woo (Dining Table, Shelf, Side Table, Coffee Table)
Specialty Suppliers: Fisher & Paykel Appliances, Filo Timo (Signage and Handrails), South Parry Lumber (Charred Wood), Dornbracht (Tapware Throughout), The Synergy Group (Front Door), Unik Parquet (Wood Flooring), Ceragres Tile (Washroom Tile), LumenWerx (Lighitng), Sistemalux (Lighting), iGuzzini (Spotlights), Feelux (LED Strip Lighitng), Greensville Soapstone (Minimal Island Stone), Olympia Tile (Reception, Professional Kitchen Island and DCS Stone), Ciot (Washroom Vanity Stone), Canadian Wollastonite (Wine Experience, Fabric Care and Compact Kitchen Stone), Blum (Compact Kitchen Hardware), Superframe (Reception Artwork), Russell Hendrix (BOH Stainless Steel Benches), Terassi via DWR (Lounge Furniture), Kastella (Chairs Throughout), Bobrick (Washroom Accessories), EzoBoard (Acoustic Ceilings)
Photography: Doublespace Photography
