SSENSE, the world leading online retailer of haute couture and luxury streetwear, mandated Atelier Barda to expand its headquarters. Located in a neighbourhood once home to the textile industry, the space was formerly used for logistics and warehouses. The project involved the complete redesign of an existing workspace to meet the company’s growing needs while staying true to its strong brand image. The objective was to design a functional space that would speak to its original purpose and conserve its industrial look and feel by paring down rather than adding on. The vast space was entirely stripped and remodelled with a strictly minimalist design, giving it a neutral yet unique aesthetic. Far from ostentatious, the interior has a deliberate no-name quality that perfectly matches the company’s values and ever-changing needs. The raw nature of the finishes creates an architectural signature in which absence paradoxically becomes a language. The lobby has a dramatic and sequenced approach, leading from a dark vestibule toward the predominantly white open-plan space. In the very center, the lounge area breaks with the neutral aesthetic. Atelier Barda also designed a complete collection of unique custom furniture. The wickerwork chairs, the solid organic-shaped low tables covered with tiled Italian terrazzo, the sleek stainless steel coffee counters and stools, the bookcase, and the conference tables are all original pieces developed in close collaboration with local artisans.