Fisher & Paykel Toronto Experience Centre

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.