For this issue of Stone World, I wrote about an office tower in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, which straddles the city’s business and fashion districts. The buttoned-up, suit-and-tie, corporate world is a far cry from the trendy, and often flashy, atmosphere of high-end designer shops. As a result, the design team had to give quite a bit of consideration to the materials they chose for the building’s entryway and interior lobby. While both districts command a level of sophistication, the design for business professionals needed to be more subdued and traditional compared to a more chic and playful design for shoppers. In the end, a balance was achieved with Marmara marble for the walls and Carrara marble with diagonal stainless insert strips for the floor.
“The location of this office tower is unique because it sits right between the edge of Vancouver’s central business district and its luxury fashion district,” explained lead interior designer Dale Kosowan, BID, RID, Associate of MCM Interiors Ltd. in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. “We wanted to create something that would have some ‘wow’ factor, yet remain timeless in its design. Marble was the natural choice.”