A City in a Store

By Editorial Staff - 30 September 2025

A combination of bold hues and contrasting materials enhances every element of Holt Renfrew’s Toronto flagship store, creating a saturated, vibrant effect that engages all the senses. Tasked with renovating the entire third floor of this large multi-brand retail space on Bloor Street, Studio Paolo Ferrari opted for a design defined by contrasting elements that reflect Toronto’s identity.

The concept draws on the city’s emblematic landscapes and architecture: Lake Ontario, the rugged Scarborough Bluffs, summer sand dunes, winter snowfields, and the austere beauty of Mies van der Rohe’s TD Tower and Henry Moore’s iconic Large Two Forms sculpture at the intersection of Dundas and McCaul Streets.

La città dentro un negozio © Younes Bounhar, courtesy Studio Paolo Ferrari

Holt Renfrew is a Canadian chain of luxury department stores founded in 1837 by William S. Henderson. The concept behind its new flagship hinges on fluid and dynamic spaces, animated by vivid colors. And Ferrari approached color as more than just an esthetic element, using it throughout the project as a powerful tool to highlight products and guide visitors.

As a tribute to Lake Ontario, the men’s footwear section is almost entirely cobalt blue, but balanced by neutral white and polished-steel surfaces to create subtle visual contrasts. In the accessories area, Liz Pead’s Fuzzy Gold, made from compressed and upcycled garments, evokes the stratifications of the limestone Scarborough Bluffs. Linking art and environment, Dahae Song’s The Earth Bones series wraps the space in an exploration of our relationship with the earth.

La città dentro un negozio | © Younes Bounhar, courtesy Studio Paolo Ferrari L’ampio utilizzo del legno all’interno del Denim Lab crea un contrasto visivo con gli elementi in acciaio lucido che fungono da contorno.

The men’s grooming products area breaks convention with orange fiberglass shelving that defines the zone. Enclosed by Douglas fir latticework, the fitting rooms are designed for flexibility and adaptability, while doing away with the traditional notion of hidden dressing rooms.

The merchandise – luxury men’s apparel, accessories, footwear, and beauty products – is arranged to foster continuity and interaction across areas, with a gender-neutral approach. A key strategy is the reuse of existing materials, such as the travertine flooring, integrating it with new art installations and custom structures. The experiential journey includes intimate, welcoming corners, such as Denim Lab and Men’s Studio, which both recall the ambience of a log cabin. The centerpiece here is a brown table that reinforces the fluidity that defines the entire flagship.

With this project, Studio Paolo Ferrari has created a retail space that combines form and function to offer a genuine luxury-retail experience that honors Toronto’s architectural and cultural history through a contemporary, innovative lens.

A City in a Store | © Younes Bounhar, courtesy of Studio Paolo Ferrari | The flagship store’s spaces feature elements with organic forms, such as the brown table in Men’s Studio and the orange fiberglass shelving.

A City in a Store | © Younes Bounhar, courtesy of Studio Paolo Ferrari | The accessories area features Fuzzy Gold, an artwork by Liz Pead inspired by the rough surfaces of Scarborough Bluffs along Lake Ontario.

A City in a Store | © Younes Bounhar, courtesy of Studio Paolo Ferrari

A City in a Store | © Younes Bounhar, courtesy of Studio Paolo Ferrari | The extensive use of wood in the Denim Lab creates a visual contrast with the polished-steel elements that frame the space.

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Client: Holt Renfrew
Completion: 2024
Gross Floor Area: 1,858 m²
Interior Designer: Studio Paolo Ferrari
Architect: Gensler
Main Contractor: Structure Corp

Consultants
Structural: Entuitive
Lighting: Tillotson Design Associates
Electrical: Mulvey & Banani
Mechanical: The Mitchell Partnership

Photography: Younes Bounhar, courtesy of Studio Paolo Ferrari

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