It’s been two years since Indigo, Canada’s biggest book retailer, opened the doors to its flagship store at The Well in downtown Toronto. To mark the occasion, Alex Harris, Interior Designer, shares more on the design thinking behind the project.

A book lover's paradise

Indigo came to us with an exciting top-line brief: to create a book lover’s paradise – somewhere you could dwell, connect and let yourself get lost in a book.

Our team really embraced the concept, taking the idea of books, stories and narratives as a starting point, and using it to create something completely unique for Indigo.

Almost every bookstore arranges books by subject. We took this a step further by creating a series of distinct rooms and spaces, defined by flexible walls that not only allowed shoppers to immerse themselves in different narratives but also for Indigo to host talks, readings and events. This concept of spatial versatility allowed Indigo to create spaces that rekindle the nostalgic sense of what a bookstore is while building a sense of community and connecting the store to the local area. The adaptable nature of the mid-floor walls further enhances this connection, enabling the store to readily adapt to evolving customer needs and programs.

A great example is the space dedicated to manga, a genre that has exploded in popularity in recent years, and which has its own distinct subculture.

To reflect this, we used disruptive structures, in keeping with the overall architectural language, but using colour, scale and positioning to create a bold visual beacon. We also landed a custom lighting feature that incorporated monochromatic illustrations, a playful nod to the stylisation of graphic novels.

For the lifestyle, homewares and cookery books department, located towards the rear of the store, we came up with the idea of “The Joy of the Table”, a space created with a nod to a more domestic aesthetic. Again, we used the same shelving fixtures, but with subtle modifications and a sage green colour drench. At its centre is a table, but not one that’s a typical shop fitting – another expression of our familiar and inviting domestic design language.

Other zones dedicated to art and culture, stationery and craft, and wellness have also been created with distinct stories in mind. Finally, by stepping through the portal-like wall to the rear of the store you are immersed in the world of children’s books and toys. The central framework here becomes part of the furniture, a playground for storytelling and play. This continues the idea of a place where book lovers are encouraged to linger, extending it across the generations.

Of course, it all begins with getting people to want to set foot in the store. Tucked into the front window on one side is the Propeller Coffee Co. coffee truck. On the other side, we’ve created a space for Indigo’s music department, with a dedicated listening area surrounded by books, vinyl records, CDs and tapes to form a kind of paean to the analogue listening experience. Combined with the open shopfront, it all creates an instant sense of being welcomed.