With its ancestral stone walls and off-kilter glass wall, Mimi la Nuit evokes the secret, intimate and muffled atmosphere of the speakeasies of the Prohibition era. The bar and restaurant, each with its own entrance, are fused together in one room. This one space/two functions combination is deftly pulled off thanks to a subtle play … Continued

The concept behind Restaurant O’Noir is to have patrons dine in complete darkness. Without sight, the remaining senses are heightened to fully savour the smell and taste of food. The design challenge was to come up with economic solutions and to alter the structure of some of the floor levels to create rooms that were … Continued

Hot, cold, flavoured or in coffee, no matter what the latest trend, milk will always have its fans. To engage more closely with its customers, Natrel joined forces with the Java U café chain to create its first-ever Natrel Milk Bar. Thus was born a unique concept, where consumers are immersed in a world of … Continued

Founded in 1993, the Pappas Design Studio architectural firm is a Canadian leader in commercial design. This company was mandated with the major renovation of the Les Promenades Gatineau shopping centre. In the order of $110 million, the upgrade involved adding 20,000 sq. ft. to the northern section of the mall, expanding the food court, … Continued

The Lemay architecture firm has designed a second showroom for the office furniture brand Artopex. After unveiling its Old Montreal shop in 2013, Artopex opened this showroom, located in a 370-square-metre space in the trendy Saint-Roch neighbourhood of Quebec City.Lemay was mandated with developing the interior concept to showcase the company’s products while enhancing the … Continued

The architecture for the new La Maison Simons location in Gatineau by LEMAYMICHAUD features pure shapes. The design concept for both the interior and exterior is inspired by fabric.A textured, iconic Prince of Wales pattern, highlighted with threads of the Simons green, is carved into the facade of precast white concrete. Inside, it might have … Continued

This design, with its layout that is as fascinating as it is radical, is a completely new and refreshing take on the traditional pharmacy. Wanting to reflect the human side of the profession to make the pharmacy an empathetic place, the designer organized the space in such a way as to promote harmony and a … Continued

The collaboration between the KANVA design firm and the men’s fashion brand Frank & Oak is a beautiful example of a meeting of elegant minds. The renowned clothing company retained this team of architects, which, for the last 10 years, has been creating spaces that have a narrative and that are markers of the city’s … Continued

Designing a fish shop was a first for Jean de Lessard, designers créatifs. But this firm was thrilled to take on this fanciful project, which awakens a childlike sense of curiosity and discovery. Referencing Jules Verne’s adventure novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, the designers created a modern setting. Creating a vibrant and colourful … Continued

This project’s major strength is that it is almost entirely made out of the same basic material: black, 4 ft. x 8 ft. melamine panels. Determined by the project’s bare-bones budget, this strategy was used to great effect by the architect. The goal was to create a temporary environment to display clothing and fashion accessories. … Continued