Retail
Brampton, Canada | Completed 2021

Art & Design Collaboration: Kwest
Photographer: Riley Snelling

Discreetly sited in a warehouse on the outskirts of Toronto, Bullrider’s new flagship store features art by prolific street-artist Kwest and sells an elusive cannabis strain that, until now, was available only to the city’s musical and cultural elite. Named after the strain, Bullrider set out to create a retail space that’s much more than just a place to buy cannabis— a hub for those involved in the highs and lows of urban culture.

Pioneering the fusion of graffiti and sculpture, Kwest has earned his title as global leader and hometown hero in the the world of street art. His hands-on approach has lead him to collaborate with top artists like Noah aka “40” or Swizz Beatz, creating installations that connect and resonate with the crowd. His snubbing of convention enables him to cultivate the unexpected and deliver big; which lead Bullrider to give Kwest the reins in the creation of its new brand aesthetic. 

Bringing in Reflect Architecture as a design partner, Kwest and the team conceptualised in synergy, exploring the vast language and symbolism of street art, two and three-dimensionally. 

Extracting from the urban landscape, raw cinder blocks are used both to lead the way and divide the overall space, creating moments within to appreciate the culture behind the featured strain— while providing a structural blank canvas to project Kwest’s art. Purposefully designed as a part of his oeuvre, the spatial elements appear in motion, subtly recalling deconstructivism while serving and amplifying his expression.

Cuts and fragmentations punctuate the space, enhancing maquettes of graffitied train cars or deconstructed visuals, accelerating into a full size mural that immerses the guest in a contemplative macrocosm. The large fresco reads as an abstraction of movement, somewhat immaterial through its 80’s vibrant colour palette seemingly floating on a grid, like weightless pixels— while evolving into a sculptural interpretation, which skilfully delimits the room. Carefully directed light adds nuance to the pieces, brushed on like an additional layer of paint.

Spurred by the broad and ever-evolving scope of street art, open structures, textures, and colours interplay, giving the visitor a new and unforeseen perception as they experience the space all while simultaneously paying homage to the rooted culture that surrounds the product. Bullrider’s design is a narration of the world beyond its walls and serves as a mirror and cultural connector within the community.