While most would look at an empty storage locker and think nothing of it, aside from maybe finally finding a place for their extra junk, the great minds at RAW Design saw a blank canvas for boundless creativity.
At the RAW Material Party on the evening of June 25th, the architecture firm revamped a massive 11,000 square foot storage locker, transforming the vacant room into a design showcase to display a collection of architecturally-focused installations.
The party was hosted at locker 3202 in Planet Storage on Dupont Street in The Junction.
A playground of creativity and imagination, the large-scale installations were composed solely of industrial materials that have been used to create Toronto’s urban landscape. Everything from brick to wood and metal mesh became part of the RAW team’s toolkit.
“In the design and builder community, we spend our days obsessing over how to manipulate these resources to create structures for our clients and the culture at large,” said Roland Rom Colthoff, Director of RAW. “We want to create an atmosphere where people will have the opportunity to play with these building blocks — let their imagination run wild like when they were kids.”
As they do every year for their annual parties, RAW invited key players in Toronto’s design and architecture community to collaborate on the project.
A feast for the eyes and tastebuds alike, guests who made it out to the party were treated to delicacies from chef Michael Tong. The theme of RAW Materials carried over to the cuisine, as the dishes prepared included crepe roti cooked on a large slab of iron, three types of Mongolian hot pot cooked in oversized glass, and freshly made warm ricotta hung from architectural fabric.
“We really wanted to demonstrate all the ways these deceptively common materials interact with our everyday lives. The applications are endless,” said Colthoff.
Check out pics of last year’s event, RAW Energy, where the architecture firm turned a parking garage into a human-powered playground.
Photo credit: James Bombales
