The GE Monogram Showroom was envisioned as a warm, inviting space that contrasts the sensory overload typical of conventional retail environments. Dedicated to the love of food and designed for those passionate about cooking, the two-storey building functions as an interactive setting where customers can explore and learn to use high-end kitchen appliances.
Prominently located on a corner in Toronto’s Castlefield Design District, the showroom’s exterior expresses a clear architectural hierarchy. The ground floor features a solid brick façade punctuated by narrow windows, establishing a grounded presence. In contrast, the upper level is enclosed by expansive glazing, creating the effect of a glass box floating above the street. Housing the cooking studio, this transparent volume turns culinary activity into a performance, visible to passersby and activating the streetscape.
The experience of the ground floor is designed as a fluid journey—conceptualized as a river. Visitors are drawn along a meandering path, encountering pockets of activity—like eddies in a stream—where live cooking demonstrations invite moments of pause and engagement. This path culminates in a central gathering space bathed in natural light, offering panoramic views of the showroom.
A dramatic, skylit spiral staircase draws visitors upward to the second-floor cooking school. Adjacent to the dining room, a green roof garden supplies fresh herbs, deepening the connection between food, architecture, and the environment.
