Ballroom Bowl’s Newest Location Floors Patrons

Ballroom Bowl Yorkville is Toronto’s second location of the luxurious bowling alley venue, opened March 2024 in perhaps the most upscale area of the city. Transforming a former high-end grocery store into a playful yet sophisticated recreation and leisure-inspired space presented both challenges and opportunities, particularly when it came to the flooring, which became a key element in balancing functionality, visual impact and environmental considerations.

The project leveraged the building’s existing concrete floor slab. After a thorough assessment, the design team opted to refinish the slab throughout the floor plate and upper entry due to its excellent condition. This decision not only reduced material waste but also established a neutral, polished canvas for the elaborate design elements that would follow and take centre stage. These include the city collage wall graphic that captures Toronto’s vibrancy, with several nods to its neighbouring city, Hamilton; a curved, cave-like wood-feature ceiling that offers acoustics control; and lounge area that offers an open kitchen view and features a bar decked out in warm woods and bronze as well as modern three-sided water vapour fireplace.

Each area of Ballroom Bowl required flooring solutions tailored to their purpose. For the bowling lanes, Pravada Floors‘ back-engineered hardwood was selected for the approach areas, offering a rich, warm tone and superior ability to withstand constant traffic. The lanes themselves became a visual focal point, with warm wood finishes accented by textured millwork that complemented their design.

The lounge area features Olympia Tile’s Crown Wood series of porcelain tile, delivering sophistication and practicality in a high-traffic environment. The dark, wood-like tile provides a sleek contrast to the walnut millwork, creating an elevated look without compromising on ease of maintenance. This choice also ensured durability in a space designed for socializing and movement.

Installation challenges stemmed primarily from integrating the varied materials while maintaining a seamless flow through the space. The team carefully coordinated transitions between flooring types to ensure functionality and visual harmony. This attention to detail helped the design meet both client and user expectations, providing an interactive entertainment venue that is as practical as it is striking.

Liz Gabaldo is a senior associate and interior design lead at mcCallumSather. Henry Dowling is an intermediate designer. mcCallumSather is a Canadian-owned, multi-disciplinary, integrated firm based in Hamilton, Ont., that offers architecture, mechanical engineering and interior design services.