GE Monogram Studio

The GE Monogram Showroom was conceived as a warm, welcoming space that would avoid the sensory overload of typical retail showrooms. A two-storey building dedicated to the love of food, for people who love to cook, it is a working environment where customers learn how to use their high-end appliances. Located prominently on a corner in Toronto’s Castlefield Design District, the first floor façade is brick, punctured by narrow windows. This solid base contrasts with the large windows of the second storey, making the cooking studio within seem like a glass box floating above the street. Allowing views to the street below, the glass box creates a theatre of cooking for passersby.

The experience of the ground floor is conceived as a river. As one follows its flow, pockets of activities – like eddies in a stream – encourage one to stop and enjoy the live kitchen demonstrations. The “river” leads to a central gathering space, flooded with natural light, where one can view everything. A dramatic skylit spiral staircase invites visitors to ascend to the second floor cooking school. Visitors enjoy fresh herbs gathered from the green roof garden adjoining the dining room.