Redesigning space: Artopex Showroom by Lemay

In the heart of Old Montreal, Canadian architecture and design studio Lemay was commissioned to design the new showroom of Artopex, manufacturer of office furniture. The project recovered the former headquarters of the Royal Bank of Canada – a prestigious, iconic building.



Lemay – Canadian architecture and design studio – takes a holistic approach to its work, combining creativity, environmental sustainability, teamwork and excellence to not only design a space, but also to give both the site and the brand an image and values: visual marketing at its best!





In the case of Artopex, leading furniture manufacturer based in Quebec, Canada, the brief was to design a showroom to reflect the brand identity but also to revitalise the former Royal Bank of Canada headquarters that had been empty for 25 years.





A major challenge when you think that a bank building is a lot different from what you would expect for a showroom and the exterior appearance could not be changed.
The team from Lemay responded to the lack of natural light with a LED lighting design, a real light show with lots of effects to mark the entrance, which is also the starting point for an uninterrupted ribbon of images of Quebec landscapes that guide visitors through the different zones of the two-level showroom. So, the lights draw the eyes of visitors to explore the space, weaving their relationship with the context and underscoring the brand’s attention to the environment.



The project’s masterpiece is the oversized wooden staircase created in a large opening in the floor that brings together the two levels, and also creates a kind of amphitheatre which can serve as both a meeting place and a display space. At the same time, the lower levels are flooded with natural light.



The Artopex Showroom in Montreal is a skilful blend of interior design, visual marketing and recovery – a complete project!

(Christiane Bürklein)

Project: Lemay http://www.lemayonline.com/en
Location: Montreal, Canada
Year: 2015
Photography: (c) Claude-Simon Langlois, courtesy of v2com