From the moment you step inside the Fisher & Paykel Experience Centre in the iconic Toronto Carpet Factory in Liberty Village, you immediately sense that this is not your typical showroom. Lime-washed walls and exposed red brick frame the reception, and – just beyond – the former boiler chimney has been transformed into an inimitable display vignette. At its centre: a product sculpture comprising a stack of the global brand’s top-of-the-line appliances boasting meticulous detailing. The wood panels encasing the appliances are evocatively etched with a Maori carving technique and the volcanic-rock connecting them is sourced from New Zealand.

It’s an appropriately scene-setting entrance for the Auckland-based brand. Omar Gandhi collaborated with Fisher & Paykel to craft a series of high-drama spaces that play with the effect of compression and expansion, darkness and light. Most of the heavy lifting entailed streamlining the interior spaces of the 380-square-metre boiler house, whose uneven floors were a major challenge. (Gandhi worked with the builders at Ripple, with whom he has collaborated on some of his residential architecture projects.) But the architect, who scouted the building for the brand’s first flagship in Canada (and fourth worldwide, after Auckland, London and Melbourne), was far more excited about the possibilities inherent to the 1898 structure.

“We found this building that tells this incredible story of Liberty Village and Old Toronto,” Gandhi explained on a recent tour of the space. “We wanted to leave as much of it visible as possible, so that you’re constantly looking at this duality between what’s meant to be seen – the appliances and the experience of how you use them – but then also the rawness of this building.”

From the cozy entrance alcove then, one enters the first setting, the Minimal Kitchen, which reintroduces the Maori carving on a side island, topped with a volcanic rock slab embedded with an induction plate. It’s a stunning focal point and perfect example of how Fisher & Paykel’s functionality can be embedded into almost any surface. The island and cabinetry – all crafted by Gibson Greenwood – seamlessly integrate an array of appliances (22, to be exact), including a cooktop flush to the counter with modular elements that allow for expansion.

“Everything starts from the customer,” said Crt Prasnikar, Fisher & Paykel’s COO, “and from the food. We always say that we are actually selling temperature.” If this encapsulation of the variety of appliances – from the Combination Steam Oven to the DishDrawer – that Fisher & Paykel manufactures feels overly humble, Prasniker elaborates: “From a fridge angle, you sell temperature; from an oven angle, you sell temperature; and even from a dishwasher angle, you sell temperature. So when you think that way, you look at sustainability. The two most thrown away ingredients in people’s houses are bread and bananas. Okay, how do I improve that?” Besides fridges that stretch the lifespan of bananas to three weeks, the brand also boasts Wine Columns with dual zones (for whites and reds) and anti-vibration tech, a fully stocked version of which is incorporated into the tall cabinets of the Minimal Kitchen.
The second vignette, the Professional Kitchen, is care of Henrybuilt. It features a stunning light fixture above its island that is hung with wheat fronds – a warm and textural celebration of Canadiana. On the opposite side of this kitchen, a small laundry-room setup features the innovative Fabric Care Experience, with a clothes cabinet that refreshes frocks without requiring you to run a load.

Finally, the journey culminates with the Social Kitchen. This most contemporary of the layouts was designed by Gandhi around a sleek stainless-steel Arclinea kitchen. Most impressive, the space features a massive canopy above a capacious dining table designed by Christian Woo. Gandhi calls the wood canopy, which is externally clad in shou sugi ban timber the “shroud.” “It creates a special intimate scale while also providing a view to the industrial context through the top,” Gandhi says, pointing up to the void at the apex of the structure. Where it extends to hover over the kitchen island, the shroud ingeniously integrates an exhaust hood along its lower edge.

This setting is the locus for Fisher & Paykel’s Mastery of Temperature culinary events, accommodating up to 20 guests. The rich programming is truly what transforms the venue from a showroom into an experience centre. And it’s just the beginning: The brand also owns U.S. brand DCS, which makes outdoor cooking products. To the side of the Social Kitchen, a DCS grill teases the summer patio that’s still to come – which will be just another great reason to visit Fisher & Paykel’s dreamy new flagship in Toronto.
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