Studio Paolo Ferrari has officially reimagined Holt Renfrew’s third floor at its Bloor Street flagship—and the result is nothing short of extraordinary. Dubbed “ON 3,” the 20,000-square-foot space breaks free from conventional retail expectations, introducing a concept Ferrari calls “radical balance.” The vision? To blur the boundaries between artistry and engineering, tradition and experimentation, retail and gallery—all while honouring the essence of Toronto.
Drawing inspiration from Toronto’s natural and architectural landmarks—think Lake Ontario’s moody blues, the sculptural Scarborough Bluffs, and the precise minimalism of Mies van der Rohe’s TD Centre—the newly unveiled floor is a physical love letter to the city. “These are all quintessential attributes of Toronto,” says Ferrari. “Qualities we sought to channel in the design of the third floor.”
The result is a sculptural, immersive, and joyfully curated space that trades the typical “luxury marble palace” for warm, magnetic zones. From vibrant cobalt blue cutaways to amorphous red-orange fiberglass shelves, the space is both unexpected and intuitive. Every detail—down to the custom floor fixtures and three-way mirrored fitting rooms—has been designed to foster movement, discovery, and deep connection.
Integrated art installations by Toronto-based talents Liz Pead and Dahae Song bring conceptual gravity to the design. Pead’s “Fuzzy Gold,” created from compressed upcycled garments, evokes the layered textures of Ontario’s limestone cliffs, while Song’s “Earth Bones” series wraps the multi-brand activation space in a grounding exploration of our relationship with land.
Even the grooming section—a corner of the store often overlooked—receives a bold, chromatic transformation. “It’s not something that often gets a lot of attention,” Ferrari notes, “but here, we wanted every touchpoint to feel intentional and elevated.”
With flexible design elements, suspended clothing racks, and rooms that shift between private sanctuaries and event-ready stages, ON 3 isn’t just a floor—it’s a fully immersive environment. One that not only redefines retail, but sets a new standard for what luxury can look and feel like in 2025.
In a world where physical retail is under constant pressure to compete with digital, ON 3 proves that brick-and-mortar can still surprise, inspire, and lead the way. Consider this the future of fashion—rooted in place, layered with meaning, and radically balanced. —Vita Daily
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