What: Campari Group’s Toronto office (in addition to Campari, their holdings include Skyy Vodka, Appleton Estate, Aperol and Wild Turkey) Where: A converted production facility on Pardee Avenue in Liberty Village How big: 9,500 square feet for 22 employees
Campari took over its new Liberty Village office in November 2015, after an eight-month renovation. What used to be an all-black movie studio is now a sparkling white showpiece, with four giant skylights that flood the space with natural light. Conceived by design firm I-V, the office has 40-foot-ceilings and a minimalist Palm Springs aesthetic combined with subtle Italian details. The result is a workspace that feels more art gallery than corporate HQ.
The lobby is fairly dark, in contrast to the bright office beyond the front desk. The neon sign reads “cin cin,” which is Italian for “cheers”:
Upon entering, visitors are greeted by this pristine bar. It’s used for daily family-style lunches and cocktail seminars. The speckled pattern used on the counter was created in 1978 by Italian designer Ettore Sottsass. It’s called “Bacterio”:
There are five private offices for execs near the centre of the room:
Most of the employees sit together, so the atmosphere is collaborative and convivial:
The floors throughout the space are made of a Johnsonite rubber that absorbs the sound of foot traffic:
Aside from pretty pink sofas (which the company sourced from a Spanish company called Sancal) and dragon trees, the mezzanine is bare. The company will add desks as it expands:
The Ping-Pong table is on the second-floor mezzanine, so retrieving runaway balls can be a challenge:
The oak walls serve both an aesthetic and acoustic purpose: Campari’s office is a cavernous space, and the tiny divots reduce echoes:
The swivelling chairs in this 16-person board room are from Spanish company Stua:
Much of the office’s signage is in Italian, including this one, which points guests towards the bathroom:
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