Toronto, Ontario

Day Lockers in an Open Office

Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment

Day Lockers for a Renovated Office

The leadership team of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, the parent company of the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Toronto Raptors, and other sports teams and a variety of entertainment venues, wanted to remodel their headquarters to reflect a fresh and modern approach.

They wanted the new office spaces to be bright and inspiring, and to take advantage of natural light and city views throughout the headquarters’ multiple floors. They also wanted to create comfortable work spaces for every employee even though expanding the office’s footprint wasn’t an option in the densely populated downtown area.

The interior design team removed outmoded cubicles and most private offices to bring in light and open up views, and they designed collaborative work areas, benching systems, and glass-walled conference rooms.

The new design approach meant that everyone would be able to enjoy a brighter, more open workplace, but it also presented a challenge: personal space would be more limited, and employees would need storage for coats, boots, and other belongings.

day use lockers at an office with office employees walking by

"The client was moving their users from spacious desks to a benching system with minimal storage, so they wanted to make sure every user had a secure place to leave their belongings."

- Interior Designer

Locker walls on both sides of a hallway with a front desk through the far entry way

Personal Storage in an Open Environment

The design team knew that the “open office” strategy would create a more modern and appealing work environment, but it would also reduce personal storage space for employees. The designers approached the local Spacesaver consultant for help. They were wondering if Spacesaver could design day lockers that would store coats, winter boots, and other personal belongings in corridors located on each floor. In addition to optimizing space, the lockers needed to be sleek and streamlined to complement the offices’ modern aesthetic.

Two walls of employee storage lockers with one open on the left side

"The client was looking for a sleek, cohesive look for their lockers. They did not want the typical ‘school’ metal locker look."

- Interior Designer

Open personal storage locker in a wall of lockers

A Creative Way to Optimize Space

The local consultant worked with the designers and Spacesaver’s engineering team. Together they modified Spacesaver’s Day Use Locker design to develop the concept of “Z Lockers.”

These day lockers optimize space by providing full-width compartments for storing shoes or gym bags at the top and bottom of each pair of lockers, along with half-width compartments for storing a coat or jacket. They’re conveniently located in corridors adjacent to work areas.

The lockers provide convenient storage, make the best use of limited space, and enhance the look of the new offices. The designers wanted the lockers to help unify the building’s multiple floors, each of which featured a different accent color. They chose high-pressure laminate for the over-frame doors and they specified blue-grey to coordinate with all the accent colors and help provide continuity throughout the headquarters facility. To coordinate with the laminate, the steel frames bases were powder-coat painted to match.