East Meets King West: a film producer’s 34th-floor ode to the Far East

By Peter Saltsman | Photography By Derek Shapton | January 15, 2015

By Peter Saltsman | Photography By Derek Shapton | 01/15/2015

Niv Fichman’s 1,100-square-foot condo mimics a traditional Japanese house—as much as it can on the 34th floor of a building at King and Spadina. The 56-year-old co-founder of the film production company Rhombus Media (Enemy, Sensitive Skin, The Red Violin) is a self-professed Japan fanatic. His fascination was fuelled by frequent visits to Hiro Sushi in the ’90s and equally frequent visits to the country itself—he figures he’s been at least 70 times in the last 25 years. “Even before my first trip, I was sold, conceptually and aesthetically,” he says. “I love the attention to detail, the way they maximize space and the way they treat art.” So when he bought this pre-build unit six years ago, he hired architect Drew Sinclair, of RegionalArchitects, to turn it into an ode to the Far East. Fichman’s goal was to have as few rooms as possible—an idea he took to extremes by putting his bathroom in the centre of the open-concept space (wooden sliders act as shoji screens when privacy dictates). The bedroom is a traditional washitsu, a Japanese room with tatami floors that serve as a sleeping pad. Yes, Fichman rolls and unrolls a futon mattress each morning and evening—something that sounds easier in theory than practice.

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