Boutique Design - December 2017 - 88

2017 gold key AwArds

beST SPecIALTY deSIGN

wINNer

THe drAKe cOmmISSArY
TOrONTO
DESIGN FIRM

+tongtong, Toronto

THE SCRIPT Create a culinary answer to hotels' multipurpose
social spaces. "The Drake Commissary concept fuses the food
production facility for The Drake brand's hotels and restaurants
with a 140-seat early morning-to-late night eatery, bakery, bar
and larder," says +tongtong founder and creative director John
Tong. "The commissary invites the public to witness the goings
on in the company's artisanal production kitchen, to enjoy
healthy, made-from-scratch foods to eat in or take-away, and to
participate in a hub for community, art and culture."

OWNER: Drake Hotel
Properties, Toronto;
OPERATOR: Drake Hotel
Properties, Toronto; DESIGN
FIRM: +tongtong Inc., Toronto:
John Tong, founder and creative
director; Lisa Mann, creative
director; Minh Duong, quality
controller manager; Janean
Bruhn and Sylvia Lee, designers;
ARCHITECT OF RECORD: Jedd
Jones Architect Ltd., Toronto;
PURCHASING COMPANY:
Drake Hotel Properties, Toronto;
GENERAL CONTRACTOR:
BLT Construction; DESIGN
CONSULTANTS: Mia Nielsen,
Drake Hotel Properties (art
curator); Carlo Colacci, Drake
Hotel Properties (stylist); ART
& ACCESSORIES: Adrian
Esparza; Alex McLeod; Camille
Jodoin-ENG; Dahae Song;
Kevin Connolly; Maxwell N.
Burnstein; FABRICS: CTL
Leather; Maharam; Momentum
Textiles; Woeller Group;
FLOORCOVERINGS: Mohawk
Group; Stoncor; Stone Tile;
FURNITURE: Brimfield Antique
Show& Market; Camilla
House Ltd; Eurolite; Gilmour
Upholsteries; LIGHTING:
Circa lighting; Eureka; Lotus
LED lights; SIGNAGE: Field
Design Office; SURFACING
MATERIALS: Ferrier Designs;
WALLCOVERINGS: Benjamin
Moore; Deco-Tile; Ellie Cashman
Design; Jelinek Cork Group;
Sherwin-Williams

THE DIRECTOR'S CUT Craft unexpected ways to showcase
art. Curate a diverse collection of pieces suited to a more offbeat
setting. "The works cover walls, tables, merge with the windows
and are even displayed in vintage cabinetry so that the interiors
and the art are truly inseparable, imbuing The Commissary with
culture, as well as a sense that anything can happen-and often
does," adds Tong.
THE HIGHLIGHT REEL Look and do (be tempted to) touch the
focal points. "On entry, guests are greeted by a modern cafeteria-style bakery with hot food counter and display of baked
goods, including a bread wall, which leads them into the front
lounge. Serving as the Commissary's living room, this space
includes a 35-foot digital mural by Alex McLeod - made from
3D modeling software," notes Tong. "Also in the lounge, a vintage
wood and mirror cabinetry houses gold, plexi-glass and frosted
resin sculptures by Camille Jodoin-Eng. Above, on the back wall
and windows, an installation by Adrian Esparza repurposes
yarn unraveled from traditional Mexican serapes, rewoven into
abstract forms recalls the building's history as a textile factory."
THE TRAILER There is no backstage. From open kitchens to
pod hotels and communal laundry rooms, 21st-century life is in
public and out loud. No space can be an afterthought.

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boutiquedesign.com december 2017

C o l i n Fa u l k n e r P h o t o g r a P h y

SOURCES

THE SHOOT Meld the kitchen and dining areas into a holistic
entity. "Throughout, the interior traverses the complexities of
an expanded program of production, product display, retail and
take-out service, mixed with full service restaurant and spaces
that encourage social interaction and engagement. This 3500-sq.ft. hospitality space is separated by a multi-paned glass partition
from the 4500-sq.ft. kitchen, so that guests can witness an array
of culinary activities from baking, pickling, curing, smoking and
sauce making," says Tong.
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Boutique Design - December 2017

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