By Danine Alati
Photography by Ben Rahn

Making a 1,066-sq. ft. retail space stand out in Toronto's most exclusive shopping district could be challenging—but not for burdifilek. The Toronto-based design firm embraced a difficult floor plate, replete with two dramatically different ceiling heights and a structural column set smack in the center of the space, and created a dramatic jewel box to showcase Capezio, a 30-year-old retailer of more than 30 footwear brands. The design-savvy client, David Markowitz, also wanted the store to have international appeal. With floor-to-ceiling glazing, this  flagship store is open to the downtown urban street, welcoming in its hip, younger clientele.

"With the new design we were looking to create even more linear space capacity to display our shoes and bags," Markowitz explains. "A key change was to create a space that had a better flow for customers to browse. The designers broke up the display and seating, which were integrated in our previous design. The new design separates the seating area from the display walls, promotes a viewing path for the customer to walk through the store, and gives us 40 percent more stock space through use of movable racks."

"We wanted to create a point of memory for the customer," says Diego Burdi, creative partner at burdifilek. "We knew it was about coming up with one solid idea, and we realized something sculptural would do the job." MDF and drywall provided a viable solution, as burdifilek manipulated the horizontal plane into more intricate shapes to form a space that is entirely sculptural in form. But given that these materials are pure white, the designers infused the palette with a "shot of color," as Burdi puts it, in the form of Tokyo purple. Burdi calls the color choice serendipitous: it's derived from a beautiful wool carpet that his design team found. The sole central seating space, custom designed by burdifilek, is sculptural in itself, making the whole store feel more like an art gallery.

And as in any museum setting, lighting is crucial to showcase the art. Here, built-in hidden compact fluorescents in the perimeter walls highlight merchandise and offer refracted illumination throughout to make the whole space glow and lessen the need for much overhead light. Simple halogen bulbs recessed in the center of the ceiling feature the seating below.

"The actual form of the store itself is what I find so appealing," Burdi says. "The form is so eye catching." But to Markowitz, his favorite part of the new design is the edge it gives his store against his competitors. "The results have  been fantastic in terms of sales. Our store currently is exceeding sales of over $1,500 dollars per sq. ft.," he reveals, adding, "The new space allows us to feature all our brands efficiently. The new design makes every shoe look special and distinct."  

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