First Gulf

Toronto, ON

Services

Deliverables

Art Installation
Wayfinding
Illustration
Motion Graphics
Placemaking
Masterplan
Signage

Imbuing life: an artistic reflection on growth

The Globe and Mail Centre is located in Toronto’s St. Lawrence neighbourhood, on one of the original ten city blocks of the Town of York. First Gulf commissioned Forge to create an art installation for their lobby that captures their brand’s essence of growth and enhances the tenant and visitor experience.

70 linear feet of continuous LED display adds interest and vivid colours to the lobby

Opening windows into new worlds

We created an array of LED columns across the 70-foot lobby wall, giving it the appearance of a series of growing ‘windows’ from the core of the building to the entrance. This extensive canvas creates two interactive artworks that attract attention while capturing and utilizing the constant pedestrian flow to affect the content.

The physcial array of screens contract/expand as you enter/exit the lobby

Escaping urban life through nature’s tranquility

‘Bloom’ invites the viewer to wander into its idyllic, hand-illustrated forest scenes to enjoy a moment of respite. It highlights the importance of maintaining a balance between nature and the urban sprawl so that we can continue to find solace within its warm embrace. With 72 scenes, including seasonal changes, varying flora, floating lanterns, creatures of the forest, and shifting light that emulates the time of day, it will never cease to have new things to discover.

All of Bloom’s custom made scenes change through the seasons and the lighting changes over the course of the day

Whimsical animal spirits are triggered by viewers stopping to take in the screens and represent current weather patterns

An artistic exploration of city and citizens’ dependencies

‘Interstitial Space’ explores the symbiotic relationship between the city and its citizens. The piece actively translates the momentum of the lobby’s pedestrians, adding colourful lines that weave throughout the illustrated cityscape, revealing depth and imbuing energy into the art. Over the day, eight distinct eras celebrate the history of Toronto, from its humble beginnings in 1793 to its current vibrant state.