Edition Richmond

A presentation centre is a temporary show space where sales agents can register and educate potential buyers about a new development project, in this case “Edition Richmond,” a contemporary townhome community in Downtown Toronto. It sets the tone for the project, displaying such important sales tools as a scale model and floor plans in a way that resonates with purchasers. The 255 m² presentation centre for Edition Richmond is housed within a former auto repair shop on site. The unassuming garage furnished a serendipitous opportunity to showcase the limited-edition luxury of the upcoming townhomes in synergy with the past and present identities of the urban property and neighbourhood. Preserved in its raw state though repaired and whitewashed, the garage has been transformed into an ethereal display gallery, re-imagining Edition Richmond as art. On exhibit, oversized black-and-white photographs-on-canvas illustrate the vitality of the surrounding district while counterbalancing the gallery’s all-white interior. The project’s graphical-projection scale model is akin to a modern-day lithograph. “Black-line” floor plans-on-canvas are presented as limited artworks in a series. A whitewashed vintage Austin America doubles as storage for marketing brochures. White-painted car parts recall the showroom’s automotive past. Approachable and unpretentious, Edition Richmond’s presentation centre, though short-lived, has become a celebrated event space for area residents and the broader creative community in Toronto. Photography by Joy von Tiedemann