Part of:

People:

Kuwabara Payne Mckenna Blumberg Architects (archive creator)

Title:

The Design Exchange, Toronto (1988-1994)

Date:

1988-1994

Level of archival description:
Project

Extent and medium:

1,613 drawings (including reprographic copies)
6 photographs

Scope and content:
This project series documents the first scheme and final design of The Design Exchange in Toronto from 1988-1994. The office identified the project numbers as 8801 for the first scheme and 9231 for the final design. Although two project numbers were used, materials for each project cannot be clearly separated.

This project consisted of the renovation, restauration and expansion of the old Toronto Stock Exchange building, located at the base of the Ernst Young Tower in the Toronto Dominion Centre. The Design Exchange (D/X) was a new cultural institution, dedicated to the economic and cultural promotion of design in the country through exhibits, lectures, banquets, trade shows and other events. With Shirley Blumberg as the partner-in-charge, the art deco style trading floor was restored as an open event space, with the original Charles Comfort murals retained. In order to create harmony between the art deco building and the neo-modernist renovations, bold, linear architectural elements such as stairs, walls, screens and bridges were reiterated throughout the design. A staircase from the trading floor led to an overlooking bridge and created a connection between the trading floor, trading gallery and resource centre. Other areas of the 40,000 square foot building included an exhibit space, café, member's lounge, retail store, seminar rooms and administrative offices. Coloured planes of cobalt blue, chartreuse and ochre were set against a material palette of red oak, cherry, limestone, glass and stainless steel.

The project is recorded through drawings and photographs dating from 1988-1994. The drawings are mostly originals and include a large amount of sketches. Also included are plans, elevations, sections, perspectives, details and drawings for custom furnishings. The photographs show the completed interiors of the building.

Reference number:

AP056.S1.1988.PR04

Arrangement:
Materials in this project series were compiled from multiple accessions and some have been arranged by material type.

Location:

Toronto Ontario Canada