Molson Coors Toronto office redesign: connecting people and company culture

Location: Toronto
Area: 65 000 sq.ft
Completion: 2020

Completed in 2020, the interior modernization project of Molson Coors‘ Toronto head office aimed to create spaces that would strengthen team spirit and employees’ sense of belonging while also helping attract new talent to the company.

“Molson Coors was expanding rapidly and wanted office space that could accommodate its growth while retaining a pleasant, human dimension,”

sums up Robert Weleschuk, Project Director at GKC. The main challenge of the project was to link the east and west wings of the head office to create a sense of unity, both physical and symbolic, since the company had noticed that employees in the two wings were working in silos without meeting or interacting with each other.

The team therefore envisioned a vast, luminous atrium featuring an airy, monumental staircase that would link the head office’s two parts, encouraging employees to “explore the other side”. A synthesis of the project, this space blends the warm tones of wood with neutral colours and raw materials such as concrete and glass, artificial lighting and natural light to create an inviting and inspiring ambience.

Work areas, from reception to offices to collaborative spaces, echo this design in a deliberately minimalist style that places people at the heart of the experience. The choice of furniture, carefully selected to be both welcoming and functional in form, colour, and ergonomics, also echoes this design. Strategically placed graphic wall elements in flat, bright colours recall Molson Coors‘s identity, culture, and history.

Amenity areas such as the cafeteria (which can also function as a meeting room for the 400 employees) and the sports bar, designed as a place to relax for after-work sessions, offer contrasting and complementary environments that encourage socializing and sharing at different times of the day while developing spatial and emotional connections with the company.

GKC’s concept for Molson Coors‘ Toronto head office redesign successfully enhanced the employees’ experience by fostering collaboration, unity, and a sense of belonging. The luminous atrium was a game changer in terms of connection, and the minimalist design and strategically placed graphic elements contributed to the organization’s overall competitiveness by celebrating the company’s identity and culture.