CWS Public Spaces

Château Westmount Square

Context:

Chateau Westmount Square is a high-end residential condo tower constructed in the 1980’s, located in the Greene Avenue commercial area. As part of a revitalization program of all of its public areas that ARCHITEM has been involved in, the latest transformation is the condo’s pool area. The pool is centrally located with the restaurant and spa area at one end and the gym at the other, connected by a zigzagging corridor.

Objective:

The project’s brief was to update the pool and its finishes and to create a pleasant and enticing space for both exercising and relaxation. Particular attention was requested to enhance the quality of light and materials.

Response:

The structural columns have been reshaped into dynamic forms, clad in wood-grained tile, injecting warmth into the space. These provide an organically shaped visual filter framing views between the corridor and the pool.

The sinuous shape of the existing pool was the source of inspiration for the new ceiling, developed as a 3-dimensional presence that further defines the space. Maximizing the height of the ceiling to allow natural light to penetrate into the space, the free-form shaped ceiling becomes a canopy for the newly interpreted forest of trees (columns) as they reach up to the sky. With artificial light from above the ceiling, the columns’ heights are rendered infinite as they disappear into the ceiling.

The natural light coming through the band of glazing along the pool’s length is further transmitted into the space through the use of light coloured materials.

Continuous glazing between the corridor and pool enlarges the circulation space where artificial light beams form archways defining the path.