Using 20 Wood Species, Brothers Dressler Dress Up LuluLemon Shop
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   A Toronto LuluLemon athletic clothing store is decked out in over 20 types of recycled wood, including the staves of a tanning barrel, shipping pallets, submerged wharf beams and furniture off-cuts.

A water station made from the milled ends of a walnut tree, among numerous other wood themed treatments.

Several of the projects were built by the Brothers Dressler (left), whose Toronto custom furnishings and design shop was contracted by the Quadrangle architectural firm.

Brothers Dressler originally designed the store exterior in 2012, and the project has picked up awards in 2013 and 2014. Here's how they describe their part of the project:

"We collaborated with the Lululemon Design team led by Emily Robin and Quadrangle Architects to add some unique elements to their new store at Yorkdale Mall in Toronto. From our initial concept we designed and built the storefront facade along with a unique art installation, a chandelier made with beaver chewed sticks and a water feature within the store.

"The front facade and entrance is a mosaic crafted from 35,788 wooden blocks made from a variety of woods salvaged from the collected history of the Brothers Dressler

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workshop. Inspired by our photograph of a fallen leaf, the palette is comprised of all the natural colours of these woods pixelated into the image.

"This mosaic embodies the history of these woods from tree to beam to stave to lumber and everything in between. An historic mixture that spans years and even centuries. The trimmed ends of solid wood tables, staves of a 16 foot diameter barrel, portions of an old Toronto school, shipping pallets, submerged beams and off cuts from countless other furniture pieces come together in their true colours to begin another chapter of their story."

Brothers Dressler's storefront design for LuluLemon incorporated those 35,788 pieces of wood, each measuring 1-3/4” x 1-3/4”. The storefront size is 23 feet tall x 25 feet wide, with a 12x6 foot doorway. More than 20 different wood species includes wood Douglas fir, white pine, cherry, black walnut, maple, elm, ash, beech, white oak, red oak, mahogany, hemlock, osage, orange, red cedar, and yew.

LuluLemon Yorkdale was recognized for its innovative use of indigenous building materials. With more than 20 species of wood used throughout the project, done in collaboration with Brothers Dressler and the LuluLemon interiors team. 

The façade mixes over 35,000 pieces of reclaimed wood, inviting shoppers to explore its surface and engage with its materiality. LuluLemon Yorkdale was awarded a Wood Design Award by Ontario Wood WORKS! for design excellence in wood construction in Ontario.

LuluLemon’s success is founded on the company’s ability to anticipate and cater to the needs of an active and dedicated community and Quadrangle adapted this ethos in its award-winning retail design. 

 

"The entryway speaks to the company’s emphasis on innovation that uses local materials and establishes a striking contrast to the stone and glass surroundings with its welcoming qualities of harmony and balance," says Quadrangle.

This theme continues with complementary interior features including a chandelier made of steam-bent hardwoods and beaver-gnawed sticks from Lake Manitouwabing; a water station made from the milled ends of a walnut tree; and a hanging sculpture resembling the roots of a tree, crafted from the limbs of locally salvaged elm and cherry trees.

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