McCann

A Curvilinear Stair Brings Wow Factor to a Global Marketing Agency’s Sweeping Lobby

“Truth Well Told,” the mantra of marketing firm McCann Worldgroup, is built into the design of its Toronto offices – literally and philosophically. The maxim informed the interior’s straightforward plan and a palette of authentic materials and furnishings. These words are also inlaid, in metal letters, in the concrete floor of the company’s generous reception area.

It’s not only the floor that makes a statement here – McCann's lobby is anchored by a stunning curvilinear stair that links the office’s two main levels and brings substantial energy to the project. Though designed in collaboration with a Dutch maker of feature staircases, this showpiece was fabricated in Ontario. It was important to the client that its Toronto outpost feature Canadian design. Many of the furnishings, including the Bensen U Turn chairs featured in the lobby, are from Canadian designers and manufacturers. The lighting is all sourced from Toronto-based Viso. We worked with the brand to establish a common language that carries throughout the project. The lighting is one of several design elements that consistently emulate the curve of the staircase – for instance, the cluster of thin cylindrical LED rods that cascades down above the steps, the rounded disc pendants in the lobby, and the copper and silver globes in the offices upstairs.

The open-plan workspace on the higher floor is split into a series of “neighbourhoods” defined by floating whiteboards that double as partitions. High-top tables and stools pair with the whiteboards to form breakout spaces built for brainstorming. Other casual collaborative zones again echo the feature stair’s curves: Tucked behind the white boards, low banquettes are upholstered in geometric stripes that contrast their winding forms. And, near the workstations, custom booths curve inward, forming a cozy felt-wrapped semicircle with acoustic privacy.