Artjail is a new space in Toronto for an award-winning New York based creative visual effects boutique. Located within an existing historic industrial building in the west end of Toronto the goal was to insert a number of new spaces within an open plan that would house facilities for High-End VFX work in the advertising, social, film, music video and art world.

The concept revolved programmatically around the creation of three VFX suites which house editing equipment and client presentation capabilities. As these spaces had the most intense requirements technically the design response proposed to elevate these as interior architectural elements.

Through a rigorous study of plan, function and form a concept that housed two of the VFX suites and a kitchen/meeting space into one architectural gesture was chosen. This element presents itself immediately when guests and staff enter the space acting as the functional and visual identity of the space. Adjacent this element a reception desk fronts another block of program that supports both the open workspace and VFX suites.

We attempted to take a modest project and produce a powerful and memorable insertion inspired by the creativity and excitement the clients work possesses.