135 King St / Studio.SC

Positioned at a threshold that defines the commercial and retail precincts, the building alterations reconnect with the public domain and its contextual history while providing its tenants with a premium lobby and third space. A portal frame element acts as the primary organizing piece and the first layer of a hierarchically layered sandstone façade concept that is commensurate with the scale and proportion of the existing street building rhythm. This sandstone element is presented as a vertically scalloped form and pays homage to the contextual heritage that aligns the street – and is a nod to the modernist and brutalist form of the ever-enduring MLC center directly across the way.

Bronze materiality used externally also transitions internally via vertically proportioned paneling that gently transforms into a large digital screen. This “ribbon” feature accentuates the lobby’s height and provides an opportunity for a playful kinetic expression and interaction, and from the outside, provides a glimpse of the internal mood of the lobby. A dramatic pendant light within the lobby, dubbed internal Rain acts as a mesmerizing bespoke light that is a defining centerpiece of space. Its carefully orchestrated chaos mirrors the pulse of the bustling café and lobby, creating a shimmering rain-like cascade throughout the lobby.

The strong proportion and scale defined by the elevational composition of the built form combined with the warm textures and layering of the external and internal materiality will enhance both the day and night conditions, culminating in a reinvigorated presence for 135 King Street. The proposed scheme forms the centerpiece of the entire street elevation through a rhythmic play of materiality, combining an interpretation of history and modernity, with Sandstone celebrated as the hero element.