After earning a reputation early on as the go-to firm for bustling, high-octane interiors (among them, the Publicis communications agency and Toronto eateries Fresh, Terroni and Il Fornello, which was nominated for a James Beard Award), Giannone Associates now has a broad range of design and architecture projects on the boards. A number of hotel projects are under way in Italy; and the firm has been developing entire urban design schemes, after receiving accolades for the Port Credit Urban Development in Mississauga, Ontario. When Wildeboer Dellelce hired the architects, with the intent of recreating the ad agency feel it had seen in other projects, husband and wife principals Giannone and Petricone resisted. Instead, they convinced the law firm to let them investigate and respond to its particular culture.

The architects liken the interior to a well-tailored suit, an analogy made obvious by the flamboyant staircase that connects the ninth and 10th floors. The fuchsia staircase not only cuts a graphic figure, but also beautifully links the top two floors under a huge skylight. Double-height glazing bathes the space in natural light, diffused through gauzy curtains. Notwithstanding the stair’s stellar qualities, one of the lawyers demanded to know why its curved spine was clad in hot pink felt. Giannone explained that against the grey tones of the modular carpeting and the white of the railing, the pink was an accent – like a brightly coloured necktie against a flannel suit. The lawyer looked down at his own tie – it was pink paisley. “He pulled it up to his face and looked at me, and a light bulb went on over his head,” says Giannone.

On the top two floors, which house offices and staff workstations, it’s clear that natural light is the project’s most important element, and the architects took full advantage of it. Sliding transparent and translucent walls enclose the offices, set along the building’s fenestration on both floors, but also usher in daylight to the centre of the room, to the support staff’s workstations. This open arrangement blurs the hierarchical boundary, with the translucent walls’ writable surfaces enhancing the friendly vibe. On both floors, a singular repeated motif makes all the difference in distinguishing this project from any other law firm. A white wall unfurls like a scroll of paper – a visual reference to the lawyers’ paper trail – whose whitewashed undulation also subtly counterpoints the brash brass wall on the eighth floor. It flanks a corridor that leads to formal and informal spaces, including what the architects call the “Shangri-la of mailrooms” and an open library and coffee station.

Dellelce concedes that there was “some internal opposition” to the plan’s bolder elements. But a desire for boldness was exactly what they were striving for. For 15 years, Wildeboer Dellelce has been acting as counsel on multimillion-dollar financing deals for such corporations as Research in Motion and Coalcorp Mining. When the firm moved to its new home, it wanted to stand out. “Most law firms are conservative and staid. We were casual before the dot-coms made it popular,” says Dellelce. “We’re all ex-big-firm lawyers, and when we left our big firms we weren’t leaving behind our brains, but we wanted to be different and fun. The pool table’s a symbol of that: it’s casual, fun and easy, but you need skill and expertise to win.” This philosophy also applies to the interior, where Giannone Associates has created a winning design that fosters a mix of business and pleasure.