Giannone Petricone Associates has completed Stock T.C, a “culinary emporium” designed to offer a selection of high-quality ingredients, ready-to-eat foods, and an inviting dining experience. 

Situated in a historical postal station in Toronto, Canada, the space includes an open market at the ground level, a 200-seat bistro on the second floor, and an event space with a circular bar and roof terrace on the third floor.

The restoration and repurposing of the 1936 limestone postal station included lining the perimeter walls with a second skin, from which shelves, lighting, and acoustic dampeners are hung, integrating the original structure with modern installations.

The space is infused with what the team calls “the omnipresence of food preparation, with a clear ‘backstage’ treatment” which “mixes with the building materials to entertain the senses.” Reflecting the venue’s mix of raw ingredients and finished plates, the scheme’s materials and architectural elements are a blend of the unrefined and refined.

“The stacking of spaces, and the charged thresholds between them, are enriched by vestiges of the historic building’s original purpose, such as custom ‘coffer’ lights, postage stamp-patterned mosaic flooring, and felt ceiling baffles reminiscent of filing cabinet dividers,” the firm explains. “Situated on a public plaza that once served as a historically important gathering place, Stock T.C. continues to draw people together, reanimating this civic corner with a wonderful new cultural experience.”

Stock T.C is one of several completed schemes to recently feature in our editorial. Earlier this week, we took a look inside three new upgraded Columbia University science labs designed by Shakespeare, Gordon, Vlado: Architects, while last week, we showcased a leadership center in rural Rwanda defined by woven eucalyptus screens.

July has also seen the completion of a 3D printed passage by Studio RAP in Delft which reinterprets traditional ceramic crafts, and a cantilevering pavilion for FOM University’s Düsseldorf campus by J. MAYER H.