Like most design-focused global brands, Fisher & Paykel had its sights set on Toronto’s Design District. “We had a showroom pencilled in on Castlefield,” says Fisher & Paykel chief operating officer for Canada Crt Prasnikar, describing the process of building Canada’s first Experience Centre. Yet “something didn’t feel right,” Prasnikar recalls. His first call was to architect Omar Gandhi. He agreed. “It just felt kind of banal, like any other showroom,” says Gandhi. The search for a signature space both complicated and clarified the process. Prasnikar, Gandhi and the Fisher & Paykel team focused their efforts on creating a marquee experience — one that exemplifies the brand’s ethos and heritage. They found it in Liberty Village. Tucked into a mid-block lane, Fisher & Paykel’s new Toronto Experience Centre re-imagines the boiler room of a historic 1898 carpet factory as a procession of three unique culinary — and social — environments, each of which showcases appliances in a distinct setting.

The Fisher & Paykel Experience Centre is tucked into a mid-block space within the carpet factory building, which dates to 1898.

From the entrance, it’s apparent that this is no ordinary showroom. In the elegantly pared-down foyer, the building’s exposed brick walls set the stage for a deftly balanced interplay of old and new. “It’s an incredible building; one that really tells the story of Old Toronto in its bones,” says Gandhi. For the architect, it entailed an intervention with a light touch. Stepping inside, a striking Fisher & Paykel product sculpture at the base of a meticulously restored chimney invites visitors to look up into the soaring barrel of industrial brick above.

Beyond the foyer, a sculptural plinth greets visitors with a “hot rock” induction and a serving of kawakawa tea — derived from a fragrant New Zealand plant prized for its medicinal properties. Here, the streamlined Minimal Kitchen showcases appliances within a warm yet artfully understated ambiance. Crafted by local cabinet makers Gibson Greenwood, the subdued space illustrates how Fisher & Paykel’s Minimal Style designs sit quietly in support of bespoke architecture. The kitchen is paired with Fisher & Paykel’s luxury wine experience, which is likewise tucked seamlessly into the woodwork.

The Minimal Kitchen and “hot rock” is an understated complement to the performance-driven Professional Kitchen (top image).

Around the corner, the sleek Professional Kitchen reveals an entirely different mood. Designed in collaboration with Henrybuilt, the highly functional yet refined space places an emphasis on exceptional performance. High-grade stainless-steel appliances are a highlight, taking pride of place alongside a palette of walnut millwork and natural finishes to create a clean, unfussy and sophisticated milieu.

The showpiece Contemporary Kitchen hosts Fisher & Paykel’s Mastery of Temperature dining experiences.

The journey culminates with the Mastery of Temperature Experience. At the heart of the Experience Centre, the showpiece Contemporary Kitchen is a working social space designed to be hosted by in-house chefs. Anchored by a large-format stainless-steel Arclinea island — which brings guests up close to the action — the kitchen also accommodates a more formal dining encounter with a table by Canadian designer Christian Woo, allowing for combined seating of up to 20 people. It’s another good place to look up: The open room is framed by Gandhi’s suspended ceiling installation, which fosters a sense of both intimacy and quiet awe.

The Contemporary Kitchen is framed by a quietly dramatic ceiling installation, which delineates the open space into a more intimate room.

After the Mastery of Temperature Experience, it’s worth sticking around. Only the seventh in a global rollout of Experience Centres, Toronto’s newest design destination is also outfitted with comfortable lounge areas and a compact apartment kitchen — as well as a DCS kitchen that illustrates a chef-level outdoor cooking solution. It’s a perfect setting to explore the breadth of Fisher & Paykel products, and to understand how each high-performance appliance can complement — and even inspire — the design journey. Throughout, the fine balance of old and new makes for a gracefully refined setting.

The space is carefully programmed to showcase the building’s rich industrial heritage — and welcome in plenty of natural light.

“The functional aesthetics of the industrial architecture have been celebrated and drawn upon as a source of contrast, highlighting Fisher & Paykel’s ongoing interest in the concept of raw sophistication,” says Gandhi. “It recognizes that a spatial experience heightened through the contrast and layering of textures and materials evokes a greater emotional response.”

This content was published by Azure on behalf of Fisher & Paykel.