The research and development team ensured all custom components fit within the specific design characteristics and millwork.
By Sonia Yooshing
In 2017, Hunter Boots opened its first flagship location in North America at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre. The company recruited construction management firm Govan Brown and The Look Company, a creator of immersive environments, to bring its drawings to life.
The research and development team ensured all custom components fit within the specific design characteristics and millwork. To achieve a high fidelity print, digitally dye-sublimated polyester fabric with silicon edge graphics (SEG) was used. Hardware and fastening equipment were then determined to display the fine art simulation in an esthetic manner. Proprietary 100-mm (4-in.) and 120-mm (4.7-in.) fabric lightboxes with custom designed lens, ballast, and equal level lighting technology were used. Further, the process was completed using custom-manufactured “canvas” frames built to handle large-format, digitally printed canvas. The project was completed within an accelerated timeline of five weeks, with the use of certified aerial installers and rigging.
The final space featured custom, on-wall backlit fabric frames and floor-to-ceiling graphics. A 9-m (30-ft) wide ceiling-mounted lightbox, one which has no fabric bowing due to gravity, adds to the creative craftsmanship and high-end finishes.
