Lululemon’s success is founded on the company’s ability to anticipate and cater to the needs of an active and dedicated community and Quadrangle adapted this ethos in its award-winning retail design for Lululemon Yorkdale. The collaboration of Quadrangle, Lululemon Interiors Department and Brothers Dressler furniture designers is evident throughout the project, beginning with the store’s striking façade. Made from over 20 types of recycled wood, including the staves of a tanning barrel, shipping pallets, submerged wharf beams and furniture off-cuts, the entryway speaks to the company’s emphasis on innovation that uses local materials and establishes a striking contrast to the stone and glass surroundings with its welcoming qualities of harmony and balance. This theme continues with complementary interior features including a chandelier made of steam-bent hardwoods and beaver-gnawed sticks from Lake Manitouwabing; a water station made from the milled ends of a walnut tree; and a hanging sculpture resembling the roots of a tree, crafted from the limbs of locally salvaged elm and cherry trees. The retail space has attracted significant numbers of new customers and was honoured with a 2013 Wood Design Award as well as an ARIDO Award for Specialty Elements. Relocated and refurbished with new glass detailing in 2016, this store exemplifies how a brand’s identity can be both reinforced and reinvented through inspired design.
Lululemon Queen Street West embodies the spirit of experiential retail and has four distinct functions. While primarily a retail outlet, the location also houses a yoga studio, meeting space for clientele and a juice/coffee bar. Responding to consumer demands for stores that cater to individual experience, this unique location provides more than just a place to shop, encompassing a multi-faceted brand experience.
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