/
1x
Advertisement
Proudly Canadian, obsessively Toronto. Subscribe to Toronto Life!
Style

Inside Vice Canada’s new Liberty Village office, with a well-stocked bar and free movies

By Jean Grant
Copy link
Inside Vice Canada's new Liberty Village office, with a well-stocked bar and free movies
Photograph by Daniel Neuhaus

What: Vice Canada HQ Where: A warehouse on Mowat Street in Liberty Village How big: 25,000 square feet (plus a rooftop patio) for 150 employees

Until you enter the building, the only way to know you’ve arrived at Vice is by the bearded, cigarette-puffing crew out front. The rapidly growing media company has just expanded from its 40-person offices on Dufferin Street to a sprawling industrial space inspired by Vice’s flagship Brooklyn office. The outside may look like an abandoned warehouse, but the inside (if you ignore the security desk and massive neon VICE sign above it), resembles a trendy members-only club—complete with vintage oriental rugs, luxe brown leather sofas and a restaurant-worthy bar stocked with more than a few kinds of whiskey.

Inside Vice Canada's new Liberty Village office, with a well-stocked bar and free movies
(Photo: Daniel Neuhaus)

To encourage collaboration, the company takes open-concept work culture seriously: even the executives sit at a centralized long table (the only staff with offices are those who deal with sensitive content, such as members of the legal team).

Inside Vice Canada's new Liberty Village office, with a well-stocked bar and free movies
(Photo: Daniel Neuhaus)

However, there are plenty of doored editing suites for when employees need to log some serious hours in silence, plus a soundproofed audio booth for sound mixing and recording.

Inside Vice Canada's new Liberty Village office, with a well-stocked bar and free movies
(Photo: Daniel Neuhaus)

Every Thursday after work, the office holds a screening night, where staff can munch on popcorn and watch a film in a 30-seat screening room that looks like a swanky home theatre (a recent evening was devoted to the documentary Hole, which was edited by Vice staffer Bryan Atkinson).

Advertisement
Inside Vice Canada's new Liberty Village office, with a well-stocked bar and free movies
(Photo: Daniel Neuhaus)

Unless it’s a Thursday or Friday afternoon, it’s rare to spot employees taking full advantage of the open bar.

Inside Vice Canada's new Liberty Village office, with a well-stocked bar and free movies
(Photo: Daniel Neuhaus)

The space was designed by local firm DesignAgency.

Inside Vice Canada's new Liberty Village office, with a well-stocked bar and free movies
(Photo: Daniel Neuhaus)

The video studio is brand-new, and has barely been used (when we visit, employees are testing out interactive video games).

Inside Vice Canada's new Liberty Village office, with a well-stocked bar and free movies
(Photo: Daniel Neuhaus)

The desks—from Toronto office furniture retailer Teknion—are made of walnut with a steel base and dividers for posting inspirations and notes.

Inside Vice Canada's new Liberty Village office, with a well-stocked bar and free movies
(Photo: Daniel Neuhaus)

Much of the office’s furniture was custom-designed by DesignAgency in Toronto, then manufactured in Ireland by a company called Orior, while additional pieces were sourced from Restoration Hardware and Herman Miller.

Advertisement
Inside Vice Canada's new Liberty Village office, with a well-stocked bar and free movies
(Photo: Daniel Neuhaus)

The oriental rugs are from Toronto’s Smash Salvage and Turco Persian Rug Company.

Inside Vice Canada's new Liberty Village office, with a well-stocked bar and free movies
(Photo: Daniel Neuhaus)

The “Bear Room” is a cozy, sectioned-off living room area, filled with bookshelves and comfortable seating, that was modelled from Vice’s Brooklyn office room of the same name. It earned its moniker a bear that charged the Vice crew while they were filming on location—the bear was shot, taxidermied, and is now on display in Vice’s New York City HQ.

More of Toronto's Coolest Offices

Great Spaces: A tech investor's home office that doubles as a studio for jam sessions
Style

Great Spaces: A tech investor’s home office that doubles as a studio for jam sessions

“It’s both a workspace and a place where I can relax and enjoy my hobbies”

NEVER MISS A TORONTO LIFE STORY

Sign up for This City, our free newsletter about everything that matters right now in Toronto politics, sports, business, culture, society and more.

By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.
You may unsubscribe at any time.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Advertisement
Advertisement

The Latest

Inside the Latest Issue

The May issue of Toronto Life features the artists, professors, scientists and other luminaries moving north to avoid the carnage of Trump. Plus, our obsessive coverage of everything that matters now in the city.