nội dung CÀ CUỐNG
ảnh FELIX SPELLER
Hidden in a quiet alley in Shoreditch, East London, the new headquarters of the independent media studio SALT stands as a vivid expression of thoughtful design, adaptive reuse, and environmental awareness.
Created by THISS Studio, the project moves beyond the idea of a conventional office. It becomes a study in how interior architecture can merge beauty with purpose while responding to the growing urgency for sustainable practice. Every surface and volume has been reimagined to serve both function and feeling, transforming the space into a tactile landscape of work, collaboration, and creativity.
The new headquarters of SALT marks a defining moment for the independent media studio, its first permanent home and a space conceived to reflect both its creative energy and its evolving way of working. Designed by THISS Studio, the interior feels open, luminous, and warm, effortlessly shifting between the functions of an everyday workplace and a setting for events, talks, or photoshoots. High ceilings and exposed steel columns give the space a distinct character, while natural light floods through two generous industrial facades, creating an atmosphere that feels both robust and refined.
SALT’s founding director, Celeste Bolte, envisioned an environment that would encourage collaboration and flexibility. She invited THISS Studio to design an interior that feels adaptable rather than prescribed, allowing the space to expand and contract according to the rhythm of the studio’s work. The result is an open layout organized into gently defined areas, dedicated desks, generous shelving for the media archive, and a shared corner where the team gathers for meetings or lunch.
Instead of closed meeting rooms, the designers opted for a series of layered linen curtains, handmade by textile artist Georgia Bosson using end-of-roll linen sourced from an Irish mill. Suspended from the exposed steel beams with C clamps, the curtains can be drawn to create intimate enclosures or left open to reveal the full expanse of the studio. Their woven grid pattern mirrors the geometry of the windows and brick columns, softening the industrial shell while enhancing acoustics and texture. The result is a workspace that balances clarity and comfort, a thoughtful interplay between structure and softness, precision and play.
SALT HQ reimagines what an office can be by rejecting the disposable culture often associated with commercial interiors. Instead of relying on new materials or fast design trends, the project embraces reuse, repair, and reinvention. THISS Studio worked with what was already there, giving new purpose to on-site remnants, construction offcuts, vintage furniture, and natural materials. Each element tells a story of renewal: a kitchen cabinet frame turned into extra storage, butcher’s racks found on Gumtree transformed into bookshelves, and cabinet doors replaced with rich, chocolate-colored Valchromat panels finished with natural Osmo oil. Even a discarded kitchen sink was rescued and restored at a South London wood workshop.
At the heart of the studio stand two generous tables designed by THISS Studio, each crafted from repurposed kitchen serving tables discovered on eBay for just one hundred pounds apiece. The longer table, stretching 3.6 meters, serves as a shared workstation for eight people, while the smaller 2.3-meter version hosts meetings and communal lunches. Their tabletops, composed of surplus cork and American white oak edging salvaged from earlier projects, rest on steel legs cut down and refitted with wheels, allowing the space to shift and adapt as needed.
Every material decision contributes to an atmosphere that feels both lived-in and intentional. The once-black steel columns and beams were coated in a warm rust-toned paint from sustainable brand Bleo, softening the industrial structure with a touch of earthiness. The wooden floor, carefully sanded and finished in matte varnish, reveals its natural grain and warmth. Thin sheets of steel, used sparingly for desks and shelving, create a quiet continuity across the interior, catching and dispersing light throughout the day.
More than a workplace, SALT HQ embodies a mindful approach to design, one that values resourcefulness over perfection, craft over novelty, and the quiet beauty of things made to last.
