Bare rooms for fashion

In designing the new office space for fashion platform “Ssense” in Montreal Atelier Barda put the emphasis on stripping down rather than conversion. In a former warehouse standing in a district once home to the textile industry this produced an almost raw looking space in which the impact of the industrial architecture is further reinforced by the sparse, neutral furnishing. Adaptability and the wish for a largely open workplace arrangement lacking in hierarchy determined the final spatial configuration. Specifically, most of the workspaces are located on the open space in the center of the former warehouse, where employees sit in teams at long tables, while meeting places and retreat zones were located on the periphery.      

As a contrast to the light and clean atmosphere of the large working area Atelier Barda created a veritably dramatic entry in the guise of a completely black vestibule with an archway leading to the brightness of the open-plan office. At the point of transition, a lounge area was installed: featuring dozens of plants, armchairs and organically shaped tables it sets a completely different tone. Incidentally, Atelier Barda not only conceived the interior but was also responsible for almost all of the furnishings, which were custom designed. (fap)