Starwood Capital Group commissioned New York-based architecture and interior design studio Rockwell Group to create this sixth property for the brand, its first in Canada.
To ensure FF&E was legitimately cradle-to-cradle and
sustainably sourced, produced and shipped, Rockwell specified elements that
could be gathered from the community and regionally crafted. The reception desk
features a desk made from granite and limestone boulders, while maple trees and
local foliage lead to a stone wall with timber-like striations carved by
glacial activity along the nearby Eramosa River. Local woodworking studio Just
Be Woodsy, which has exclusive rights to collecting fallen trees around
Toronto, made public area and guest room furnishings from trunks Rockwell
hand-selected in their lumber yard, including restaurant Casa Madera’s host
stand and live-edged table tops, all hewn from one immense reclaimed tree.
Reclaimed Elm wood flooring and shelving sourced from a dismantled barn in
nearby Blyth, Ontario, appear throughout the property, from the check-in desk
and lobby to guest room corridors and Harriet’s Toronto, the rooftop bar, where
sliding glass walls and a retractable roof blur indoor and outdoor living while
revealing city and lakeshore views.
Rockwell designed the 112 guest rooms, which includes
21 suites, to emulate the quiet oasis of a lakeside retreat. Sliding timber
barn doors separate the bedroom and bathroom, while art and bedside tables are
made from tree branches, stumps and bark.
Sullivan said 1 Hotel Toronto is anchored by its
efforts to lessen environmental impact and use biophilia to promote wellness
and resiliency. This, added to the increased desire for personal connection
sparked by the pandemic, builds momentum for the wave of nature-oriented urban
hotels on the horizon.
