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Architects: Ivy Studio
- Year: 2022
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Photographs:Alex Lesage
Text description provided by the architects. M.A.D. Collectif (Mode, Arts et Divertissements) is a Montreal-based creative studio that has been organizing fashion, art, and design-related events worldwide for over 20 years. In 2022, the collective has been working to rethink its entire approach towards its industry, starting with a complete rebrand (previously Groupe Sensation Mode) as well as new office spaces for its team. They ultimately found a 3600sf space on the ground floor of a two-story building in the heart of the Village, one of the liveliest boroughs of Montreal. The objective for the new location was to focus on creativity and collaboration and for it to be used not only by their team internally, but also by their multiple partners and collaborators – a flexible space made for sharing ideas and working together. This place was also seen as a great opportunity to put forward local artists and artisans. Meant for more than a simple office space and photo studio, it had to be able to host occasional events, exhibits, and pop-up shops.
The building presented many challenges in its existing condition. Home to a print shop since it was built in 1939, the space is very long, with windows only on the front façade. This is why the more public functions were focused at the front, and the more private at the back. When entering the space, you walk directly into the café. There, a grandiose bar serves as a kitchen area for the staff during the day and a serving bar for evening events. A long banquette follows the peripheral walls and is used for dining, working, or informal meetings. When going around the closed central block (containing the common areas of the building), you discover the second naturally lit portion of the floor plan. This is a flexible open space with a lounge used for photo shoots, videos, or other types of content creation.
The entire back half of the space was originally reinforced with concrete, making it almost two feet higher than the front. This height difference is used to separate the public areas at the front from the more formal workspaces. A 16-foot long ramp serves to get from one space to another. In this core portion of the building, a series of workstations are placed along the peripheral walls, allowing for more focused work. At the back, closed offices, call rooms, and meeting rooms are placed where the natural light is least found. Given the company's nature and its brief, the design focuses on creating a very flexible space that could be used for work, meetings as well as fashion events, art exhibits, and pop-up shops. This inspired a 'work in progress' aesthetic, where the space feels like it is in a constant state of evolution. Things feel unfinished, so they can be moved, played with, and modified at any moment. Raw construction materials are exposed and put forward rather than hidden behind finishes. The entire space is meant to become a canvas for the creative work completed by M.A.D. and their collaborators.
To begin, existing walls, plumbing, and ventilation equipment are all painted white. The sunken front portion of the space is covered with white ceramic tiles, from the floor to 4 feet high. The peripheral walls seem unfinished, with exposed metal studs going up to the ceiling. This backlit system spans almost the entire space and is used to display art, posters, or any other graphic elements relative to M.A.D. events. For general lighting, a series of long linear tracks with projectors are installed on the ceiling and go all the way to the back of the office space. This flexible system helps to adapt the lighting for any occasion, similar to an art gallery. The ramp leading towards the back is meant to be an experience of its own. The narrow ceramic-clad passage is placed beneath a series of linear lights, giving the impression of walking down some version of a runway.
For the closed rooms at the back, the walls are covered with clear polycarbonate sheets rather than standard plaster, exposing the soundproofing nature of the fiberglass insulation inside. All metal frames and steel doors are left raw and unpainted, showing off their imperfections. Aside from the round tables made of galvanized steel, all of the furniture is meant to contrast with the unpretentious canvas of rough construction materials. When entering, the main focus goes directly towards the bar. The 20-foot-long monolithic marble counter stands out in its white environment with its bold veins and striking volcanic colors. The long curved banquette covered in metallic purple velvet is accompanied by pink and orange poufs scattered throughout the floor. Even the typically modest shop stools and hay chairs are finished in bright lilac and deep forest green. The overall design is inspired by M.A.D.s very own forward way of thinking. The mix of raw unfinished elements with typically luxurious materials goes against conventional design and creates an uncommon aesthetic, unique to the brand's new identity.
