DESIGN
The lounge , in one of the Social Square zones , and its “ floating ” bench
attention to social ergonomics drives the energetic flow between the Social Square ’ s four zones . “ We design layouts to bring people closer together and spark interaction ,” he says . “ I close my eyes and imagine myself in each seat , thinking ‘ Where am I ? What am I seeing ? What do I want to see ?’ I try to make the worst place in the house the best .” His goal is to give every area a purpose that adapts to different activities throughout the day .
Each zone offers a different world . The lounge is bright and airy by day , with an undulating velvet bench that , devoid of legs , appears to float . Prismatic crystal panels along the glazed façade cast spangles of light with dramatic effect at night . An aerodynamic white bench along a gradated turquoise acoustic wall hints at the nautical theme of the Social Square ’ s star attraction : chef Marcus Samuelsson ’ s eponymous restaurant introduces Canada to his culinary artistry with a 200-seat seafood venue .
A Russian crab is encased in a glass display with two-way mirrors that create an illusion of infinite reflections .
44 hotelsmag . com October 2019