New York-based architecture and design studio Rockwell Group has put the finishing touches on renovations of the Fairmont Royal York (formerly the Royal York) in downtown Toronto, originally designed by Ross and Macdonald (with Sproatt and Rolph) in 1929. Given the hotel’s connection to the railway and Toronto’s Union Station, Rockwell Group took material, form, and detail cues from train cars and railroads, embracing and highlighting the building’s rich patina while adding a contemporary layer to the hotel restaurant, meeting and event rooms and public spaces like the lobby clock.
Photography by Ben Rahn / A-Frame