September 30th 2021 – By Promostyl

The Store Holt Renfrew Gets a Makeover

Holt Renfrew, a Canadian department store like Barneys New York, has been given a makeover in the heart of downtown Toronto. Located on one of the most expensive shopping streets of the city, Holt Renfrew wanted to renew its facade with the help of Gensler Architects in order to modernize the store and create a strong visual presence on the street. The idea was also to highlight its luxury products through new windows.

With the store being divided into 5 different buildings, the biggest challenge for Gensler was to find a strategy to unify the buildings so customers could see the size of the store and understand its division. This meant making a consistent exterior design, a light yet complex façade that reflects the brand's image. Therefore, the architects opted for a limestone exterior full of fossils, which brings a spirit of liveliness to the environment.

The windows, made of transparent glass, offer an open view of the store which helps in showing the merchandise and gives natural light to the interior of the store. The interior is made of white tiles with matching walls of the same color to keep a homogeneity with the exterior. These colors were also chosen to keep a minimalist effect in the store, so that customers can focus only on the products for sale.