Frank and Oak
Toronto, Canada
2016
Toronto, Canada
Project start: 2015
Construction due: 2016
Status: Completed
Gross floor area: 150m²
Client: Frank and Oak
Executive architect: AXIA Design Associates
Project team: Chris Wong, Taymoore Balbaa, Mo Soroor, Ibrahim Brad Miles, Ayesha Moghal
Design architect: Hazen Philip Design Inc
In the bustling Queen West district, Frank & Oak’s Toronto flagship store involved a
complete interior renovation — as well as exterior refurbishment — of an existing building
located at a prominent corner. While this Montreal-based clothing brand had been until this point thriving in the world of e-commerce, this shop was to be their first physical location.
AXIA worked attentively with Frank & Oak to realize their concept of the store as not merely about selling their unpretentious clothing line, but also about a lifestyle centred on authenticity, wellbeing and sustainability. Inspired by the relaxed atmosphere of a living room, the areas that display men’s clothes are designed to feel spacious and easygoing, and they make abundant use of natural, eco-friendly materials with local sourcing, from wood to metals and tiles. To keep its aged patina, the wood flooring of the original building was carefully refurbished.
In addition to the clothing store, a café and barbershop were designed as integral parts of the space. Similar to the clothing section, they display an attention to detail and materiality appropriate to the experiences offered. For example, vintage barber chairs were sourced as centrepieces of the barbershop, around which AXIA introduced architectural elements that subtly reference the past, while updating them through a contemporary design idiom. A classic design sensibility is transported into the present.