XXXY
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Yabu Pushelberg

Flexible Fixtures and Multimedia Installations Attract the Youth Market.

By Beth Kapusta

© Evan Dion

For more photos click on 'photos & drawings' above. To see the people and products behind this project click on 'people & products.'

XXXY is an act of architectural jean therapy, an attempt to attract the lucrative youth market of teenagers and early-twentysomethings by creating a dozen or so clothing boutiques-in-a-box, the first such undertaking for the Canadian retailer Thrifty’s.

To accomplish this, the design team developed a big neutral white box that frames an eclectic palette of materials including vinyl, acrylic, translucent fabric, metal, and steel. The open space is animated by an art-installation approach to both displays and activities staged within the store. Virtually all display units rest on casters so that apparel brands can be switched quickly, expanding or contracting according to the ever-changing market. Inspired by the store’s name, a tongue-in-cheek DNA motif features references to biology (genes, chromosomes, gender symbols) projected with strong graphics. Massive XXXY signage, which establishes the store’s androgynous theme, is illuminated day and night and creates a synthesis of graphics, marketing, and architecture.

To overcome some of the scale of the big-box frame’s 25-foot ceiling height, the design team introduced several interior solutions. Luring shoppers to the second-floor shoe area and mezzanine boutique, an expanded mid-run stair landing supports an orange vinyl-encased lounge with oscilloscopes (machines that provide an analogue analysis of the noise levels in the store). Video monitors amid the shoe displays project images of pedestrian feet walking past the store.

See the January 2001 issue of Architectural Record for addition coverage.

Formal name of building:
XXXY

Location:
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Gross square footage:
9,000 sq ft

Owner:
XXXY

Architect's firm:
Yabu Pushelberg