Sornells 21

The workspace in the Valencian neighborhood of Ruzafa was conceived by Ausiàs Pérez of T.O.T Studio and Paloma Bau to host their respective teams as well as a small community of creative professionals. Transforming a former commercial unit, the project occupies a 170 sqm U-shaped premises with dual street access and emerges from a shared desire to create an environment where different disciplines, methodologies and languages can coexist, and where architecture and design actively foster encounters and spontaneous synergies. From the outset, T.O.T led the conceptual development of the project, while Paloma Bau’s team took charge of its architectural materialization.

The starting point was a simple but powerful idea: to reinterpret some of the founders’ favorite everyday places in Tokyo and translate their atmosphere into a flexible workspace in Valencia. Rather than literal theming, the project offers an architectural interpretation of three recognizable Japanese urban situations: the ceramic-tiled street, the izakaya bar, and the relaxed environment of the onsen.

The arrival sequence is conceived as the project’s conceptual threshold. The entrance reproduces the material logic of many urban architectures in Tokyo, where white 10×10 ceramic tiles wrap entire façades. Beyond this threshold, the space is organized around its central element: a large bar that runs through the U-shaped plan, which functions simultaneously as coworking workspace, display surface and social hub. 

The second conceptual realm of the project is in one of the original recesses of the premises and functions as a meeting room. Inspired by the atmosphere of the onsen, this space deliberately breaks with the studio’s general sobriety. Accessed via a small stair concealed within the kitchen paneling, a glimpse of a Klein blue door anticipates the change in mood. Inside, the chromatic intensity, shower-head luminaires, mirrors with bath-area handrails, and a false skylight incorporating a small planter create a more playful and experimental image. A neon sky ironically replaces the customary Mount Fuji often found in onsen imagery.

Built-in sofa and upholstery: Paloma Bau
Wood and metal carpentry: Lebrel Furniture
Technical lighting: Arkoslight
T.O.T suspended lamp and bar lamp Paper lamp: Ilutrek
Paper lamp: Hay
Stools: Zara Home
Office chairs: IKEA
Red chairs: Reupholstered vintage pieces
Onsen table: IKEA
Upholstery: Deloli Sail
Photo credits: David Zarzoso