Pandora - mini entrepôts

GKC submitted a variance request for a specific project (PPCMOI) to the City of Kirkland to optimize construction and meet the client’s aesthetic expectations. “The regulations require a significant proportion of masonry for new buildings,” explains Richard Kaplin, Emeritus Partner at GKC. “However, to achieve the distinctive character the client desired while also reducing the carbon footprint, we aimed to utilize less conventional materials.” Additionally, the design needed to include lime-green aesthetic and signage elements, which are the company’s signature colour.

Ultimately, the municipality approved GKC's concept, featuring copper-coloured (Copper Penny) corrugated metal panels. Through their distinctive shape, colour, and alternating pattern, these panels give the building an attractive visual identity, setting it apart from the typical "shoebox" style often associated with this type of facility.

The panels are installed vertically on a beige brick base and paired with an aluminum curtain wall that includes large panes of grey reflective glass. This combination gives the project an architectural presence that is both striking and refined, while also ensuring excellent insulation and long-term durability.

Using this cladding presented its own set of challenges, as explained by Maxime Vinette Le Duc, Project Director at GKC:

The extensive glazing—particularly on the west and south façades, which are the most visually prominent—adds rhythm, light, and depth to the building's volumes, inviting the eye to look inward. “We didn't want people to see merely a closed, opaque mass. Instead, our goal was to create a dialogue with the exterior," explains Maxime Vinette LeDuc.

Clearly visible from the road, the trompe-l'œil doors and the striking staircase, featuring Pandora's signature colours and rising across the building's four upper levels, further enhance this interaction and strengthen the site's visibility and appeal.

Inside the reception area, the design allows for a dialogue between industrial elements and a warm ambiance. The use of angled furniture, a combination of wood and raw concrete, exposed ventilation ducts, and well-considered lighting creates an inviting atmosphere for both clients and employees. Every detail has been thoughtfully considered to soften the space and introduce an organic feel, right down to the wood grain marks left by the concrete formwork on the ceiling. This imparts an unexpected texture and warmth to the industrial material.

Encouraged by the success of this project, the client has commissioned GKC to design and oversee two additional mini-storage facilities in Pointe-Claire and Brossard, in the Greater Montreal area. They are also planning additional developments of this type in the future.