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Toronto Life: Inside Banger Films’ renovated warehouse in the Junction Triangle

What: Production company Banger Films’ headquarters
Where: The third floor of a warehouse on Sterling Road in the Junction Triangle
How big: 10,000 square feet for approximately 50 employees

Banger Films is a Toronto company that produces documentaries, TV series and live concerts mostly about heavy metal music (its work includes Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage and Iron Maiden: Flight 666). Last fall, they moved from a run-down house on Roncesvalles into a raw warehouse. After three months of renovations orchestrated by Banger co-owner Scot McFadyen and architect Mark Franklin, the office was transformed to a rustic, homey space that has more than enough room for its team. McFadyen says it’s meant to resemble a European city, with various “streets” leading to open community hubs. And while the workspace is stunning, the staff agree that the best part about working at Banger is getting to hang out with a group of colleagues—including McFadyen and his co-owner Sam Dunn—who share a serious music obsession.

Only the walnut flooring is original to the building. The employees’ desks are made of reclaimed wood from a now-defunct post office, and the vintage lights are from Junction shop Eclectic Revival:

Inside Banger Films’ renovated warehouse in the Junction Triangle

The bar is used for casual meetings, office parties and Thursday afternoon beers. Every Wednesday at 5 p.m., Dunn hosts a livestream here where he debates different heavy metal sub-genres with a special guest (previous guests include musicians, authors and journalists—staff admit it’s pretty nerdy):

Inside Banger Films’ renovated warehouse in the Junction Triangle

The bar has a comfy leather couch, a record player and lots of bottles of booze gifted from bands:

Inside Banger Films’ renovated warehouse in the Junction Triangle

Here’s Iron Maiden’s brand of wine. The band sends bottles to a few staff members every year for Christmas:

Inside Banger Films’ renovated warehouse in the Junction Triangle

The kitchen fridge is decorated in band magnets made by Dunn:

Inside Banger Films’ renovated warehouse in the Junction Triangle

Much of the furniture and decor, including these barnboard doors, was sourced from the nearby vintage store Smash Salvage:

Inside Banger Films’ renovated warehouse in the Junction Triangle

A long bookshelf in the centre of the main room is filled with research materials and mementos, such as signed records:

Inside Banger Films’ renovated warehouse in the Junction Triangle

When we visited, music was spilling out of one of the edit suites, as staff worked on an upcoming documentary called Hip-Hop Evolution. The dark editing rooms are in a row along the centre of the office:

Inside Banger Films’ renovated warehouse in the Junction Triangle

According to the staff, McFadyen’s French Bulldog Didi is the office’s most important fixture:

Inside Banger Films’ renovated warehouse in the Junction Triangle

 

BY JEAN GRANT | PHOTOGRAPHY BY KAYLA ROCCA Read the article: https://torontolife.com/style/inside-banger-films-renovated-warehouse-in-the-junction-triangle/

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