Sister Style

Siblings don’t always look alike. Such is the case with Holt Renfrew (Toronto) and its new little sister: the roughly 23,000-square-foot hr2 concept. Found in only one other location — Brossard's Quartier DIX30 shopping center in Quebec — this outlet in Toronto's Vaughan Mills shopping center is focused on mid-priced designer and luxury goods.

“It’s a brand new retail concept and it was a collaboration with the client to define it: How is it different than Holt Renfrew, but still carries the DNA?” says Steve Scuro, partner at Janson Goldstein LLP (New York), the design firm tasked with the project. “It had to be its own distinct experience, mood.”

Originally founded in 1837 as a fur shop in Quebec City, Holt Renfrew has become synonymous with luxury and authentic Canadian retail throughout its 176-year history. The department store giant, currently owned by the Selfridges Group (London), has managed to stay in the public eye with its inventive social media campaigns (Hot@175 for its 175th birthday last year, for example) as well as boutiques like The Beauty Hall in Yorkdale, Canada, where patrons can experience facials and a polish bar.

Launched in March, this smaller-format concept boasts some of the same designer bags and jewelry normally found at Holt Renfrew, but it’s more than a watered down version of its older sibling. Instead, the store offers a pop-art aura against simple white floors, walls and ceilings.

Also, unlike its predecessor, hr2 is an open concept, allowing customers to experience the setting all at once, rather than department by department.

“It’s a very fluid space. There is distinct, overarching architecture and within that, the merchandise defines each area,” Mark Janson, partner, Janson Goldstein, says. “It’s a holistic approach to the space.”

The resulting design is a mix of youthful and abstract motifs: pops of color burst from signage and are juxtaposed against the white interior throughout the space. Giant, seemingly animated numbers bounce across dressing room doors, while floating cabinetry and merchandise define sections. The mostly white interior serves as a neutral backdrop, allowing colorful merchandise to grab the customer's attention.

 For additional motion, stretched-fabric signage fit to frames and adorned with super-sized graphics rest above floating cabinetry, and electronic ticker tape flows through the interior to relay selective messages to shoppers. Meanwhile, a winding path initiated by a linear, sculptural ceiling treatment, guides patrons throughout the store’s subsections. 

“As you walk through, you can glimpse various merchandise throughout the entire store, yet, when you’re shopping, you’re in a space that’s more defined and has more intimate scale,” Scuro says.

Meant to be abstract and “never literal,” according to Janson, the super graphic was inspired by pop art and is meant to be changed regularly, allowing shoppers a fresh experience on each visit.

“Off to each side of the path are ‘rooms’ that feature the different types of merchandise, like handbags, shoes and clothing. It’s designed … to be a meandering path,” Janson says.

Little siblings are notorious for sneaking off with your favorite outfit on the first day of school and singlehandedly creating interruptions, but hr2 has proven itself worthy of hanging with the big kids. “It’s meant to feel fashionable, fresh and distinguishable from other brands,” Janson says. “It's a distinctive environment that represents the brand.”

PROJECT SUPPLIERS

Retailer
Holt Renfrew, Toronto

Design
Janson Goldstein LLP, New York: Mark Janson, partner; Steven Scuro, partner; Jason Spangler, project manager; Angie Winston, project team.
Holt Renfrew, Toronto: Nat Penno, vp; Brian Noviski, director

Fixtures
Carritec: Dorval, Quebec  
Luxe Agencement d'Intérieur, Boucherville, Quebec

Furniture
Louis Interiors, Toronto, Ontario

Wallcoverings
Uxus, Amsterdam

Architect
IBI/HB Architects, Vancouver

General Contractor
Rochon Building Corp, Toronto