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Toronto’s come a long way in variations on the “ultimate bachelor
pad” theme. I remember when the terms “utilitarian, vermin-free,
furnished in Early Ikea” used to pass for progressive bachelor
living. These days, with singles playing the field longer than ever,
it pays to invest in sophisticated style – even if it means going
solo on that high-end sectional.
Of course, one Toronto bachelor has taken this investment in
personal style to a whole new level. Enter Zark Fatah, social
entrepreneur and nightlife architect extraordinaire, whose name is
synonymous with all things hip and hot.
Ten years ago, he was a
bartender at clubs like Fluid and the Guvernment. Today, his
company, Zark Inc. spearheads six businesses. And of course, there’s
the fact that he’s on too many most eligible and best-dressed lists
to mention.
With five of his six Zarkinc businesses on or near King St. W. – the
Century Room nightclub, Atelier, restaurants Blowfish and Doku 15
and the Hammam spa, it’s no surprise Fatah grew wary of living where
he worked.
The ICON condo development on Wellington, his first
Toronto real estate acquisition, put him right in the middle of the
action. With his businesses thriving and firmly entrenched in the
downtown scene, the impresario of King West looked east for a
sanctuary to call home. Of course, his must not be a mere dwelling.
His must be the signature of a lifestyle itself.
It doesn’t take long to realize Fatah isn’t your run-of-the-mill
property-buyer. Upon his first viewing of his current home at The
Broadview Lofts, there was a considerable Gulp Factor – a kind of
gulp-in-your-throat “I Have to Have It” sort of deal. He recalls, “I
walked in and was blown away by the expanse of open space and
spectacular views. It was the kind of space where I could really
import the best creative possible. And the fact that I could see
panoramic skylines sealed the deal.” The view, as any man on a
meteoric rise can tell you, is everything. Fatah explains further,
“I had seen about a dozen loft spaces all over the city before
seeing this one; I knew as soon as I saw it that I could make any
ambitious design idea work here as it’s such an open concept, raw
space.”
As founder of entertainment empire Zarkinc and Prototype Design Lab,
“a design-and-build company” in Mississauga, Fatah has made it his
business to set social and design trends in the city, importing the
best experiences of his travels to the heart of Toronto. And, as a
man who likes to have a hand in everything, his own company,
Prototype Design Lab, produced a lot of the fixtures and fittings
for his marquee properties, including the signature metal steam
“spout” of Hammam’s gorgeous steam room...
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