Housed within a former 170 m² commercial unit, the project proposes a renewed vision of the contemporary studio: flexible, community-driven and deeply informed by the urban imagery of Tokyo. More than a strategic partnership, Sornells 21 is the result of a natural convergence between two complementary trajectories. Pérez’s return to Valencia coincided with Bau’s search for a new studio, giving rise to a place where different disciplines, methodologies and languages coexist—an environment in which architecture actively encourages encounters, exchange and spontaneous collaboration.

From the outset, the project was shaped by a clear division of roles. T.O.T Studio led the conceptual framework and spatial narrative, while Paloma Bau’s team was responsible for its architectural realisation. This dual approach reflects the essence of both practices, balancing strategic thinking with materiality, geometry and detail.
The concept draws inspiration from three everyday urban situations in Tokyo, reinterpreted with subtlety rather than literal reference: the ceramic-clad street, the izakaya bar and the calm, immersive atmosphere of an onsen.
The spatial journey begins at the entrance, conceived as a true conceptual threshold. White 10×10 ceramic tiles—common in Japanese urban façades—wrap the space, amplified by a ceiling mirror that doubles the perceived volume. The effect is immediate: a sense that the street extends indoors, blurring the boundary between city and studio.

Inside, the layout is organised around a single defining element: a continuous bar that runs through the U-shaped plan. Crafted in black-tinted MDF, it structures circulation and use, operating simultaneously as workspace, display surface and social hub.
At its centre, a 7.20-metre table accommodates up to twenty people. Conceived as a pivotal piece, it allows the studio to shift seamlessly between daily work, meals, presentations, tastings or professional meetings, without compromising its core identity.
Suspended above the bar, a bespoke linear light references noren—the traditional Japanese textile curtains marking the entrances of shops and taverns. This element introduces a strong horizontal rhythm, scaling the space and contributing to a warm, contained atmosphere.

One of the project’s most distinctive decisions is the placement of the kitchen outside the bar, deliberately inverting the typical izakaya layout. To balance this inversion, a mirror symbolically brings the presence of the cook back into the bar, reinforcing a perceptual game that runs throughout the project.
This logic reaches its most unexpected expression in the meeting room, set within an original recess of the space and inspired by the onsen. Accessed via a discreet stair concealed within the kitchen joinery, the transition is announced by a Klein blue door that signals a clear change in mood.
Inside, restraint gives way to experimentation: tatami elements, granite, bold colours, shower-like luminaires, mirrors with handrails and a false skylight with planting create an almost playful atmosphere. A neon sky replaces, with irony, the customary image of Mount Fuji. The adjacent bathrooms, finished in an intense red, heighten the contrast and introduce a deliberately provocative note to the overall spatial narrative.

Materiality, light and flexibility
The material strategy is defined by coherence and repetition, a hallmark of Paloma Bau’s work. A continuous light microcement floor unifies the entire space, while the sprayed cellulose ceiling acts as both technical and acoustic plane, leaving installations and curtain rails exposed.
Fixed furniture—tables, kitchen units and storage—is resolved in raw MDF through a simple, honest construction system that aligns with the studio’s exhibition-like character. All bespoke pieces were produced by the Valencian company Lebrel Furniture.
Lighting combines technical solutions by Arkoslight with decorative rice-paper lamps and custom-designed fixtures, striking a balance between precision and diffused warmth.

Above all, Sornells 21 is a multifunctional space. A studio that adapts with ease, accommodating daily work, collaboration, events and celebrations without the need for major transformations. Architecturally, it stands as a flexible stage where professional practice and collective experience intersect—and where creativity unfolds as much through encounters as through projects.
A place in Valencia that looks to Tokyo, yet ultimately responds to a new culture of work: more open, more shared and unmistakably more human.