Office Interior
Toronto, Canada | Completed 2023

General Contractor: Anjinnov
Photographer: Joel Esposito

The past few years have seen tectonic shifts in the nature of work and the role of the workplace in people’s lives. Companies have been challenged to re-evaluate how their office can become a preferred destination for work and collaboration. Asset management firm NewGen has always perceived its workplace as a casual and sociable space. Recognizing that in finance, relationships are built and deals often struck in informal settings—at the golf or social club—the design sought to capture these intangible qualities in the workplace.

Once the tallest building in the British Commonwealth, the historic Commerce Court North tower represents an era of Bay Street supremacy. The soaring vaults of its banking hall evoke grandeur and financial prosperity. At this iconic address, which still carries gravitas amongst its glass and steel neighbours, NewGen sought a space imbued with the legacy of the financial services industry, interpreted from the perspective of a younger, progressive generation. The design takes cues from the historic architecture, with influences from private industry and social clubs tempered with a contemporary, casual sensibility.

Their ‘office clubhouse’ occupies an entire floor within the compact footprint of the upper tower. The large central core displaces the program to a series of perimeter vignettes framed by tall arched windows. Emerging from the elevators, the spatial experience progresses from moody, vintage-inspired spaces to bright, daylit areas with contemporary aesthetics. Rough, textured concrete panels reminiscent of traditional wainscotting line the interior walls but give way to clean, light millwork and arched metal panels inspired by the vaults of the banking hall below. Suspended installations integrate lighting and services while defining functions from workstations on the trading floor to casual lounges and breakout spaces.

Conventional and unconventional materials in unexpected applications strike a balance between vintage references and contemporary aesthetics. Rich, dark herringbone-patterned hardwood and vibrant blue-green arches recall classic club lounges with wood-panelled walls and forest green upholstery. The refined metalwork and smooth curves of the powder-coated, perforated metal arches counter the patina and character of the vintage elements. The effect is an office environment that eschews corporate homogeneity in favour of a design reflective of the firm’s individual personality–an inspiring destination for work and a hub for forward-looking investing and relationship building.