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Agnico-Eagle Mines Offices

This is a project by Taylor Smyth Architects and it is located at Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Project's program: Renovation of corporate office. There are six images for Agnico-Eagle Mines Offices.

: © Ben Rahn/A-Frame

Project details

Project name: Agnico-Eagle Mines Offices
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Program: Renovation of corporate office
Area: Project size: 17,000 sf
Year: Completion: 2008
More details: Cost: $1.7 Million
Client: Agnico-Eagle Mines Ltd.
Project by: Taylor Smyth Architects
Team: Partner-in-charge: Michael Taylor • Team: Michael Taylor, Brian Harmer, Pochi Li, Joanne Pukier
Others: Sub-consultants: Read Jones Christoffersen, Toews Engineering, Ianuzziello & Associates, Hine Reichard Tomlin • Contractor: Marant Construction

Project images

Designer's statement

Agnico-Eagle Mines (AEM) is an international growth company focused on gold, with operations in Canada, Mexico, Finland and the USA. Their LaRonde Mine is Quebec is Canada's largest gold deposit.

When Taylor Smyth Architects was approached to design Agnico-Eagle's rapidly growing head office, they were occupying the top floor of a five storey building with dramatic views of St. James Park and cathedral. Working with TSA, they decided to stay in the building and expand to 17,000 square feet, rather than to relocate. In order to minimize disruption, the project was designed to be built in two phases: first to build out the fourth floor to allow them to relocate, and then to gut and reconfigure the fifth floor, complete with a new interconnecting stair.

The design makes subtle references to AEM’s core business. At the reception area, the back wall is composed of smooth slabs of horizontally grained travertine that abstractly evoke the geological strata of a mine. Embedded into the wall are random strips of gold coloured bars. A glass display case is also contained within the wall to showcase chunks of the raw mining material. This wall rises up two floors where the slab was cut open to accommodate an open stair that leads to the main boardroom.

At the opposite end of reception, the view is terminated by a feature wall comprised of stone cores that come from the bore holes made during the mining process. Mounted vertically, this multi-coloured stone creates a unique, richly textured composition.

The rest of the material palette was chosen to provide an elegant, dignified impression. Bamboo flooring was selected for key areas due to its environmentally friendly features. Light coloured limestone clads the elevator walls and floor. Cherry is used on doors, frames and frames.