Design studio Odami reimagines the retail experience for womenswear brand Andrews with quiet drama and tactile elegance…
Tucked within the refined corridors of Toronto’s Bayview Village Shopping Centre, a new kind of boutique has emerged – one that feels more like a minimalist art gallery than a traditional retail space. Designed by local studio Odami, the transformed 1,680 square-metre home of womenswear retailer Andrews is a masterclass in atmosphere, materiality, and spatial choreography.
Originally constructed in the 1960s, Bayview Village was part of a wave of architecturally modest malls built to serve Toronto’s blossoming uptown neighbourhoods. But this newly unveiled space marks a sophisticated evolution—one where design doesn’t shout, but rather whispers with confidence.
Image credit: John Alunan
Given its location deep within the shopping centre and devoid of natural light, Odami approached the challenge with creative solutions. Confronting the issue of a lack of natural light, the designers created the oversized light panels to fulfil that expectation of intrigue and surprise.
These glowing panels, set along the store’s perimeter, wash the open-plan interior in a gentle, ambient light. They softly spotlight curated selections of apparel and accessories, creating intimate vignettes that guide the shopper’s gaze. The lighting is not just functional – it is emotive.
Throughout the store, slender U-shaped rails descend gracefully from the ceiling, designed to suspend singular garments or delicate scarves. Below, richly veined Calacatta Rosenoir marble podiums, sand-toned leather cushions, and micro-cement plinths form a low-slung topography of display and seating.
Image credit: John Alunan
The effect is quietly dramatic – playful yet precise. The overlapping rectilinear forms unfold like a sculptural landscape: sometimes offering a platform for a designer handbag, other times becoming a welcoming bench for shoppers.
A deliberately muted palette—composed of warm neutrals and raw textures—allows the clothing itself to be the focus. Yet the materials are never boring. Micro-cement walls conceal hidden doorways into private fitting rooms, while recessed light panels cloaked in stainless steel gauze add a silvery shimmer behind shelving displays.
In reworking the boutique’s windows, Odami sharpened the sightlines to offer curated glimpses into the store’s soul.
Known for its material sensitivity and conceptual clarity, Odami continues to shape the design language of modern Toronto. The studio’s portfolio includes a ruby-hued Aesop store in Yorkville, a minty green outpost for Aesop in Los Angeles and a serene split-level beach house on Lake Ontario. With Andrews, they’ve created a sensory escape – an elevated experience that invites discovery and celebrates the art of dressing.
> Since you’re here, why not read our hotel guide to Chicago, or about ASOS’ new premium fashion range?
Main image credit: John Alunan
