Sornells 21: T.O.T Studio and Paloma Bau design a Tokyo inspired creative workspace in Valencia

Rafael CunhaDESIGN, INTERIOR1 week ago3.7K ViewsShort URL

Designer Ausiàs Pérez of T.O.T Studio and architecture practice Paloma Bau have transformed a former commercial unit in Valencia’s Ruzafa neighbourhood into a shared creative workspace informed by everyday urban scenes from Tokyo. Named Sornells 21, the project reimagines a 170 square metre premises as a flexible environment for work, collaboration and cultural exchange.

Located on Sornells Street, a pedestrian route linking Ruzafa Market with the surrounding residential blocks, the studio hosts the teams of both practices while also opening itself to a wider community of creative professionals. Rather than operating as a conventional office, Sornells 21 functions as a hybrid workplace where meetings, exhibitions and social gatherings coexist with everyday studio activity.

The project grew from a collaboration between T.O.T Studio and Paloma Bau when Ausiàs Pérez returned to Valencia and Paloma Bau began searching for a new studio. T.O.T developed the conceptual narrative while Paloma Bau translated it into architecture and material form.

Inspired by everyday spaces in Tokyo, the design references the tiled urban façade and the social atmosphere of the izakaya. A tiled entrance with a mirrored ceiling creates a threshold that visually extends the street into the interior.

Beyond it, a central bar made from black tinted MDF organises the workspace. At its centre, a seven point two metre table in San Vicente stone accommodates up to twenty people, allowing the studio to shift between work, meetings and shared gatherings.

Above the bar, a bespoke linear luminaire runs along the length of the workspace. The element references Noren, the textile curtains traditionally placed at the entrances of Japanese shops and taverns, introducing a horizontal rhythm and soft illumination across the interior.

One of the project’s more unexpected gestures concerns the kitchen. Instead of being positioned behind the bar, it is located outside it. A mirror placed opposite reflects the activity of the cook back toward the central space, maintaining the social logic associated with an izakaya.

Within one of the recesses of the original premises, the project introduces a meeting room inspired by the atmosphere of a Japanese onsen. Accessed through a concealed stair integrated into the kitchen panelling, the room marks a clear shift in colour and mood.

Mirrors, shower style luminaires and bath handrails evoke bathing environments, while a false skylight with a small planter introduces controlled daylight. A neon sky replaces the familiar Mount Fuji imagery often associated with onsen interiors. Adjacent bathrooms finished in intense red reinforce the contrast with the otherwise restrained palette of the studio.

The interior relies on a restrained material strategy. A continuous microcement floor unifies the space while reflecting natural light. The ceiling is treated with sprayed cellulose that improves acoustics and leaves installations visible, allowing the space to remain flexible and adaptable. Custom furniture made from raw MDF complements the architectural elements, maintaining a simple construction logic that emphasises material texture. Most bespoke pieces were produced by the Valencian manufacturer Lebrel Furniture.

Sornells 21 functions as more than an architecture and design studio. Conceived as a platform for collaboration and exchange, the space allows everyday work to coexist with presentations, exhibitions and informal gatherings.

Through a careful balance of narrative references and material clarity, the project transforms an irregular commercial premises into a creative workspace that reflects the collaborative energy of Valencia’s Ruzafa district.