The sculptural ceiling pods in Toronto?s Union Station combine HVAC, lighting and sprinkler systems. Future retail areas in the station will also include the modules. Photo: PARTISANS / Jonathan Friedman
PROJECT Union Station Food Court, Toronto, Ontario
ARCHITECTS PARTISANS in collaboration with DIALOG and GH+A
 
Cultivating a future client
Seven years ago, I bought a ticket to a Charlie Burger event?one of those secret dinners where they fly in a renowned chef. I was seated across from a tall, confident stranger who was wearing a bespoke western rodeo-inspired plaid suit. After realizing our common love for architecture and food, he passed over his card and explained that he worked for a real-estate holding and development company named Osmington. I had never heard of Osmington. Plus, that jacket"! A few months later, the stranger?Brad Keast?reached out to see if the studio that I co-founded with Pooya Baktash, PARTISANS, was interested in working on ideas competitions with him. He was clear that there was no guarantee for any work, but we would have an opportunity to try and impress some heavy hitters in the development community.
Brad?s email arrived at a time when PARTISANS was practicing out of a 500-square-foot loft; we had just moved from the inside of a storage facility?s loading dock. For two years, we worked on competitions together. The best we did was second place.
Bidding on a long shot
We eventually learned that Brad had an important project on the...