The Ace Hotel Toronto, a collaboration between Shim-Sutcliffe Architects and Little-Wing Lee of Ace Studios.Tucked in the corner of Camden and Brant Street, the building stands at fourteen storeys tall with four additional levels below. A concrete shell clad in red bricks and fronting an expressive awning was once part of the ‘city’s vital Garment districts’. The red masonry reflects the site’s history that once manufactured red bricks before transitioning into the textile industry. Such impressive twentieth-century history is prevalent throughout the interior. 

From the lobby, visitors are drawn into the rugged textiles of the concrete arched structures that echo throughout, grounded by stone pillars that complement the external structure. Inside is a cosy and inviting sight to behold, for the stone structure is softened by the red oak timber ceiling and Douglas Fir flooring that extends itself throughout. The selection of timber has a subtle connection with the guest rooms above, which can be seen in the boxed window seats, furniture, and lining within the dreamy white square tiled bathrooms.

Upon entry, visitors are greeted by grounded elements from the reception made of light-coloured glazed bricks to the classy bar which openly greets the arrangement lounge composed of bespoke or sourced furniture. In contrast, the hotel’s Alder restaurant shifts to a darker tone. Inside the restaurant, sunken wood-fired copper elements halo theatrically against the ebony walls and darker floor tiles, presenting a tune that reflects the location’s role of being ‘the (epicentre) of Toronto’s art and music scene in the 1970’s and 80’s’.