Anne Sportun’s Queen West Flagship Gets a Modern Redesign by Superkül
The Toronto designers were inspired by the organic shapes of the jewellery.
Photo by Nicole Kim
After a 20-year tenure on Toronto’s Queen West Street, jewellery boutique Anne Sportun has debuted a fresh redesign for the flagship, thanks to the creative imaginings of local design and architecture firm Superkül. Now co-owned by her daughter, Haley Woodbury, the eponymous Toronto-based brand was founded 35 years ago by Anne Sportun, who began making jewellery as a teenager and says she is “excited to welcome our customers into this beautiful new experiential environment.”
Superkül used the brand’s signature style—jewellery that features organic shapes, timeless silhouettes, and asymmetrical placements—as the starting place for the design. The interiors are bright and minimalistic to emphasize to be on the merchandise, and the narrow floor plan is split into two parts. In the front, custom-cut porcelain tiles, white cabinetry on the left side, and mounted white-oak display cases on the right set a scene of understated elegance.
The back portion of the store is demarcated by a step up and the switch to refinished wood floors, creating a more intimate space for consultations and presenting the Anne Sportun-design collections. Several glowing orbs protrude from the wall, while a trio of pendant lights with inwardly curved bronze shades, both Montreal’s Luminaire Authentik, hangs above a white Calacatta marble display case that extends just past the step.
Felt walls—in large pleats along the back—add subtle textural interest and dampen noise so conversations with guests retain some privacy. Three bronze-trimmed wall mirrors spaced out along the righthand side mimic the organic shape of many Anne Sportun rings, and cove lighting around the perimeter of the ceiling illuminates the store in a soft glow.
To tempt shoppers in from Trinity Bellwoods and distinguish it from the other string of stylish boutiques that dot the street, the exterior got a facelift, too, with a new sign, soft-white porcelain tiles, and bronze accents.
Alongside the new space, the brand has released the Archive collection, which brings modern cues to some of the most beloved Anne Sportun designs of the ’90s and early 2000s. Taking time to honour the brand’s roots, the Queen West remodel is a commitment to preserving Anne Sportun’s future through continued rediscovery and an eye toward what’s next. “The redesign provides the perfect backdrop to showcase my collections and for our customers to experience the pieces in an interactive, approachable and personal way,” Sportun says.
Photographs by Nicole Kim and Scott Norsworthy for Superkül.
