+tongtong: Black Toe

Multidisciplinary studio +tongtong completed a boutique retail space for Black Toe Running in downtown Toronto, inspired equally by elite running culture and its urban locale.

Multidisciplinary studio +tongtong completed a boutique retail space for Black Toe Running in downtown Toronto.

Inspired equally by elite running culture and its urban locale, the space is nestled at the base of a condo building on King Street West.

The space is narrow, long and tall. On the back feature wall, there’s a photograph of spectators wearing “GoPre” t-shirts. The image is from a race in which was competing Steve Prefontaine, the American long-distance runner who’s thought to have kick started the running boom in the 1970s.

Principal John Tong worked closely with his client to design a dual-purpose space that connects with the culture of the elite runner, striking a balance between design and function, elegance and the surrounding landscape. He chose urban materials such as concrete, slate, wood and chain link to emphasize the environment where many Toronto runners train: along the waterfront and major streets, beside railway tracks, ravines and city parks.

The space flows in a circuit around a black steel monolith display for the shoes selection. Topped with concrete, the centerpiece features the footprints of local runners from the community. A terrain is created with one side of the display subtly ramping up to a raised platform area where a few shallow steps then lead you down to the other side. To accentuate the clean lines and the dynamic shift in elevation, Tong split the case down the middle. Oak planks were chosen for the path, riffing on the look of a boardwalk, lit by small exterior lights usually found outside on walking paths – a balance of the outdoor-meets-indoor language.

Flanking the ends of the store are large sculptural elements made of chain link fencing and geometric wooden structures cantilevering forward, which speak to each other from across the space. To exaggerate the height of the store, the ceiling above the counter was compressed by creating a second, lower ceiling of wood slat fencing.

On one side of the store, multi-purpose bleachers were constructed to try on shoes and display products. The bleachers also will be used as a hub to host seminars and events, as well as the meeting place for group runs Black Toe plans to organize.

Meanwhile, the glass counter top towards the back of the store performs double duty as a place for the cash register as well as a consultation bar with stools. A drinking fountain is located nearby for runners to stop in and fill up their water bottles.

Black Toe Running, Toronto, Canada
Program: boutique retail space
Interior design: +tongtong
Area: 900 sqm

+tongtong: Black Toe

Multidisciplinary studio +tongtong completed a boutique retail space for Black Toe Running in downtown Toronto, inspired equally by elite running culture and its urban locale.

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