Built in 1889 by local architect George Miller, the Gladstone Hotel is the oldest continuously operating hotel in Toronto, the largest city in Canada, home to nearly five million people.
With a dream to restore the ageing stone building to its former glory, and redevelop the hotel's concept from a run down flop-house to a 'unique boutique' hotel, the Zeidler family purchased the hotel in 2000, adamant that 'cookie cutter hotel rooms just wouldn't fit with the diversity of events, people, and experiences that the hotel has become known for."
An open call for ideas led to the refurbishment of 37 rooms into one-off guest rooms and 14 rooms for use by artists-in-residence and exhibition spaces. The hotel's grand re-opening in December 2005 was an open house weekend, showcasing the final refurbished rooms and allowing the public to view each of the strongly conceptual offerings.
'Teen Queen' by artist Cecilia Berkovic, has walls plastered with magazine images of teen idols and kitsch 80's fashion. The effect is like sleeping over at your best friend's house...in 1986. 'The Trading Post', designed by Matthew Agostinis and Joel Harrison-Off, features a four poster bed using enormous upright logs, exposed brick walls and timber furniture to create an 'country oasis in the city'. 'Faux Naturelle', by artist Allyson Mitchell, is described on the hotel's website as a 'woodsy retreat where lesbian separatist commune meets Storybook Gardens'. Mitchell explains the name of the room as plays on references to nudity (aux naturel) and the feminine (elle) and the fakeness of the world (faux). The decor is just as entertaining as the concept, with an enormous, furry, wall mural complemented by fake rock wallpaper. Aside from the 51 variously sized guest suites, there are two larger suites offering a bit more luxury and extra amenities.
A two-story 'Tower Suite' is conceived of as a 'honeymoon/rockstar' experience by mother-daughter team Christina (who is now Development Manager of the Gladstone) and her mother, designer Jane Zeidler. Two walls of floor-to-ceiling original windows allow views over the city and climbing a wooden staircase to the 'tower' sleeping space, guests have a 360-degree panoramic view of Toronto and Lake Ontario.
The floorplans remain true to the hotel's original layout, with wide hallways big enough to be used as exhibition space, with large couches for informal socializing, and generous 14 foot ceilings. The grand staircase leading through the building and the charming Victorian, hand operated freight elevator have both been restored. The rooms are inexpensive, given the highly designed interiors and enthusiastic service, at only 155 CAD, (about £80 per night). Costs were kept down by using a standard bed and a non-luxury bathroom in all rooms - although this is easily overlooked by the undeniable artistic energy brought to the rooms through the design of all other aspects, from bespoke furniture and lighting to wall coverings and textiles.
"We live around the corner so when we heard about the open call we knew we wanted to be a part of it," says Amy McLaughlin of Sobule Design, who teamed up with husband Aleksandr Niestroj to design room 403. Their room, 'Big Wood' features over 600 pounds of solid Douglas fir wood that had to be carried up the grand staircases due to space restrictions in the tiny lift. The furniture is an adaptation of their modular 'BC Series' that they debuted at the Milan Furniture Fair in 2005. "The wood is from BC - the west coast of Canada-- and we had it milled in locally and then we joined and finished it all with floating mortise and tenon joints," McLaughlin explains. 'We hand rubbed it to distress it and then sealed and stained it to keep its character." The handcrafted nature of the timber and the emphasis on natural materials defines the room and makes this cosy space, (all rooms are small, this one is one of the biggest at about 20m2) simple, functional and fun.
The Canadiana Room by Jenny Francis with local upholsters The Big Stuff is one of the most striking rooms, described by the designers as "fabricating nostalgia: a brief, whimsical fantasy of Canada."
Cedar tongue and groove cladding covers one wall, a fragrant and warm touch, and another wall is covered in bespoke digital wallpaper, a manipulation of photos taken of local scenery. Francis spotted the perfect light fitting for the room on eBay: a chandelier made of antlers, the ultimate Canadian kitsch but with a modern and quirky twist.
"We did a lot of our own installation work," she explains. Given budget considerations and the need to control the design at every level, the designers not only designed and in many cases built their furniture, "we had three weeks where everyone was in their rooms installing on their hands and knees."
The local artists have breathed new life into this well-restored landmark making the new Gladstone a beacon of creativity and hospitality in the heart of one of Toronto's most vibrant music and arts communities.
Words by Terri Whitehead
