Our Market Wharf project has received rave reviews for its striking contribution to Toronto’s skyline and for the remarkable design of its interiors. The man largely responsible for Market Wharf’s interior design is Michael Krus, architect and co-founder of the award winning architecture, interior design, and development consulting firm, TACT Design.
We recently caught up with Michael to discuss his work and his inspiration for the design of the north and south lobbies of Market Wharf.
What initially drew you to design and how did you get started in the business?
I always enjoyed drawing houses when I was younger. When I was about 12 years old, I visited my aunt in Montreal and she gave me a postcard with the model of the Olympic Stadium on it. I remember thinking, “It’s really amazing that someone actually gets paid to create something like that.” That moment really solidified it for me. Ever since, I knew that I wanted to be an architect.
Growing up, who were some of the architects that influenced you?
One of my favourites is Tadao Ando, a Japanese architect who is one of the most prolific in the world. I really admire the work of Frank Gehry; the freedom and the spirit of his work is really inspiring. Earlier on in my education, I was drawn to the “tectonic” architects like Richard Rogers, Norman Foster and Renzo Piano. I also really admire the work of John Pawson.
You’ve also lived in New York. How does the design and style in New York compare to Toronto?
When it comes to the architecture itself, I don’t see much of a difference. I’m actually impressed by the level of architecture and design in Toronto. I think we don’t give ourselves the credit that we deserve. We always strive to be better and we want to be “as good as New York” but we are actually as good as New York. The significant difference is that New York has a different economic construct and so there is greater opportunity and proliferation of work there. I think the talent base in Toronto is very good, our educational institutions are very strong, and if given the opportunities, we can do as well as anyone.
Has Toronto’s condo boom impacted the city’s architecture and design in any way?
I think the condo boom has created greater competition between projects and developers. Everyone is trying to out-muscle each other for a given market and it has definitely upped the ante. So just putting anything on the market is not good enough anymore like it may have been 10 years ago. Developers have seen that better design gets them better projects which in turn gets them better sales and a better price point. The public has also become more design-savvy; they demand and appreciate good design. More and more condominiums are becoming iconic buildings in the city and are stepping out of the background role they used to play.
The design process itself is quite fascinating. Can you walk us through the process?
For me it’s a dichotomy that’s tough to verbalize. When you come out of school, there’s a rigour, an expression, an approach you strive to develop for yourself and you forge strong-founded design principles. You have these strong-founded design principles that you are taught and that you’re sculpted to have.
As you grow older and gain more experience and confidence, you realize that you don’t have to hold on to those principles so tightly; you become freer with them or let them be more malleable. My approach to a project or a design really comes from the circumstance that is presented.
For example, with Market Wharf, we had a long, thin space to work with which was not necessarily conducive to a lobby. In one’s mind that could be considered a significant constraint, but out of constraint, opportunity and creativity can flourish. So I approach each design without preconceived notions.
In the case of the Market Wharf lobby, we took cues from the building. Market Wharf has a relationship to the lake and which is further emphasized by its flowing balconies. We took inspiration from this. The curved ceiling that you see in the north lobby is an expression of water.
Tell us more about Market Wharf and how you came up with some of the design concepts.
Market Wharf north lobby
In the north lobby, the columns are clad in a black glass mosaic, and although this is not clearly evident in the renderings, the colour and the texture really contribute to the overall composition. We also used white concrete on the floor to give the space a warmer feel, and then used black marble for the concierge desk. The black marble is an elegant, durable material. It looks good today and hopefully it will look good 20 years from now.
Market Wharf south lobby
The south lobby is taller and wider. It’s more box-like. Here, we used a free-form stainless steel wall inspired by the amenity form expressed in the Market Wharf building. We wanted the lobby to be easily identifiable with the building and for there to be a cohesive identity with the building. We used red glass mosaic tile for the columns and black porcelain tiles for the floor to contrast and emphasize the flowing stainless steel wall. There is also a portion of the ceiling that has a cove of light cut into it. The shape of the cut out is literally the shape of the amenities space.
The north lobby has a distinct shape in the ceiling while the south lobby has a distinct shape along the wall; both taking their cues from the architecture of the project.
It seems then that your attention to detail is what makes you stand apart from other architects.
There is always some purpose to everything we do. That purpose may be philosophical, practical or may have a strong design principal to it. When we do our work we strive for something that is timeless. We want something that not only looks good today, but also can still be appreciated 20 years from now.
