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Royal de Versailles' Rolex Boutique, PARTISANS | International Design Awards Winners

Royal de Versailles' Rolex Boutique

CompanyPARTISANS

Lead DesignersAlex Josephson

Design TeamComputational Designer: Arturo Tedeschi, Design Lead: Ian Pica Limbaseanu

Project LocationToronto, Ontario, Canada

ClientRoyal de Versailles

CreditsPhotos: doublespace photo and Teddy Shropshire

Prize(s)Gold in Commercial Architecture / Commercial Renovation / Adaptive Re-use

Entry Description

At the ground level of a modernist high-rise, the fluidly sculpted limestone façade of Royal de Versailles’ new Rolex Boutique is a magnetic juxtaposition against the steel exterior. The existing 14-floor modernist high-rise was completed in 1970, at a time when Toronto began to depart the staid conservatism of the early 20th century, leaning into design ambitions centered around cultural ambition and urban regeneration. Royal de Versailles’ unconventional façade upholds this same zeal for design that is intended to be valued, preserved, and celebrated by future generations.