Assembledge+ has continued its ongoing collaboration with Cactus Restaurant Group in support of the Vancouver-based company’s expansion into Canada’s western provinces.
Located in the dense commercial core of downtown Calgary, Stephens Avenue is a historic pedestrian mall providing an eclectic mix of boutiques and high-end retail. Looking to build on the success of their downtown Toronto flagship, the goal was to export the brand’s hallmark formula of upscale, inventive, and global cuisine paired with a high-energy, high-design setting,
At 6,700 square feet, Cactus Club Café: Stephens Avenue accommodates up to 228 seats with an additional 1,300 square-feet and 88 seats on the wrap-around patio. The interior has been designed using a refined palette of oak, blackened steel, glass, and stone, to echo the natural materials found in the West Coast Canadian landscape, featuring oak and stone-clad walls, paired with a unique tile flooring. Long wood and curved ceiling slats inspire movement throughout the space creating a striking yet complementary contrast against the linear geometry found throughout. Furnishings include butcher-block oak tables and deep brown leather seating while glass partitions and horizontal paneling section the different dining spaces.
Facing the entry, the lounge and bar are illuminated by a floating display of hand-blown glass pendant lamps creating a sense of intimacy among diners. The adjacent patio features a fully retractable roof to accommodate Calgary’s climate year-round. Additionally, retractable floor-to-ceiling glass panels surrounding the lounge blur the lines between the indoor and outdoor experience and enables diners to interact with the heavy pedestrian traffic, as well as a large-scale steel “Trees” sculpture designed to reduce wind gusts between buildings. Original art is displayed throughout featuring artists Mr. Brainwash and Andy Warhol.