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Aurora Armoury Canadian Food & Wine Institute

  • Prize
    Winner in Architectural Design Event Space
  • Company/Firm
    Gow Hastings Architects
  • Lead Designer
    Philip Hastings
  • Other Designer(s)
    Jim Burkitt, Valerie Gow, Mark Grimsrud
  • Architect
    Philip Hastings, OAA, FRAIC, LEED AP
  • Interior Designer
    Valerie Gow, ARIDO, OAA, FRAIC, IDC
  • Hospitality
    Canadian Food & Wine Institute, Niagara College
  • Construction Company
    Orion Construction & Management Co. Ltd.
  • Location
    Aurora, Ontario, Canada
  • Project Date
    2020
  • Developer
    Town of Aurora

Located in the heart of Aurora, Ontario, the Aurora Armoury Canadian Food & Wine Institute (CFWI) is a revitalized culinary and community hub. Originally built in 1874 as a drill shed for the Department of National Defence, the restoration of the designated Canadian Federal Heritage Building was realized through an innovative partnership between the Town of Aurora and Niagara College. Envisioned as an outpost location for the Niagara College CFWI, the Armoury is a space for post-secondary culinary instruction, and a venue for general interest courses and community events. Led by esteemed Toronto chef Soohyeong Lee, the building features an interactive demonstration kitchen with a 10-foot-wide chef’s table that functions as a culinary theatre. The kitchen opens onto a 200-person event space, which celebrates the Armoury’s original Agrarian-style post-and-beam construction and refurbished terrazzo floor. The building’s design incorporates 48-foot wide, full height automatic bifold doors, that embrace an indoor-outdoor dining experience rooted in the richness of the surrounding Town Park.