Louis Vuitton Toronto exterior Façade and Stairs were designed to standout on a block of outstanding storefronts.
Feature Walters provided design and key elements (for staircases), including plate-fabricated mirror-polished steel, elliptical wooden handrail with leather wrap, mirror-polished bolts to secure glass panels and steel stringers. The staircase was installed by Walters Field Services and the structural steel behind the façade was installed by Walters Inc.
The Toronto storefront and staircase were tied to an immovable deadline; the opening of the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival. We used Design Assist to resolve the stair and vestibule construction, which was critical in maintaining the accelerated schedule. Had we been working with an external fabricator, the project almost certainly would not have been ready in time but because we had the skills in-house, we were able to fast-track the project to meet the deadline.
The façade required an oversized curtain-wall system and custom extrusions to handle the forces of unconventionally large glass panels.
To our knowledge, this façade supports the largest sliding door in the world. It was a challenge to find components that could support the height and weight of the sliding glass panels. These sensor-activated doors retract a distance of 14 feet, a feat made more challenging by the absence of a transom. The design also incorporates concealed maintenance access panels and backlit signage.
