Store Design
GLCO's first international location opened in 2021. Located on Queen Street West, the new GLCO location is located in a neighborhood hallmarked as an epicenter for local artisans and hipster hideouts.
Queen Street runs across the majority of city, with many buildings maintaining their historical mid-century facades. The store is among many popular shopping and eating destinations including the beloved eatery Terroni, art hotels The Drake and Gladstone, bespoke menswear brand, Sidney’s, as well as the vibrant Trinity Bellwoods Park.
The design of this flagship Canadian location took form with collaborations between Garrett Leight, a talented and passionate team of Canadian Opticians, and the Canadian-born/Los-Angeles-trained architectural designer Dan Hapton.
The space of GLCO Queen West is a roughly 200-year-old long and narrow allotment that is characteristic of the neighbourhood's urban fabric. When one passes through the door from Queen Street into GLCO they enter a world somewhere between the Canadian Bohemia outside and Garrett’s Venice Beach within.
The design sculpts the perimeter walls and ceilings of the old building with modern and shapely lines that echo the sensibilities of Southern California architecture.
Tightly composed figural built-ins draw the eye down the length of the space populated with GLCO’s signature hipster feng-shui. And seamlessly integrated planters – one of the most substantial displays of succulents on Queen Street – enhance the various compositions and small moments of meditation. This shapely and rich minimalism pairs seamlessly with the sensibility of the brand.
The signature GLCO experience carries through this place at multiple scales and in multiple manifestations: from the feeling of first passing through the entry; to the scenery of Southern California in photographs, shapes, and plants; to the brand’s unique displays and prized customer service.