A Form of Expression
A physical space can often act as a canvas to express our personalities, ideas and lifestyles. The same can be said for representing a brand’s identity and ethos. The strategic use of colour, texture and materials and can help to create a cohesive narrative, creating a space authentic to a brand.
Thomson’s HQ is the new headquarters for Scotland’s oldest coffee roaster, Thomson’s Coffee. The company was founded in Glasgow in 1841 and has pioneered speciality coffee for over 175 years. Today, the company remains independently owned and operated with a focus on embracing the traditions of its founder David Thomson, while celebrating his innovative spirit by utilising cutting edge techniques and equipment.
The brief was to transform a former bank with windowless rooms and narrow corridors into an espresso bar and a flexible workspace that would create a new hub for the business, close to the nearby roastery and bakery. The design solution was to embody the values of the business and communicate them to the customers and team.
Through close collaboration with the client, an overarching concept and material palette was developed which focused on the core values at the heart of Thomson’s Coffee, tradition and innovation.
These were translated into a material palette of smoked oak and a valchromat. A striking horizontal line breaks the espresso bar in two with a crisp and contemporary base and a decorative panelled upper, referencing the traditional Victorian retail interiors of the Merchant city. Through careful consideration of lighting below the black ceiling and within the wooden retail wall, the café provides the customers with an inviting space that echoes historic retail spaces but is undoubtedly contemporary.
Contrasting the espresso bars’ rich, intimate atmosphere is a tasting room and office space. A new light shaft floods the space with natural light creating a peaceful place for the team to work or host social events such as training and tasting sessions. A more muted material palette was chosen to respond to the multi-functional nature of the space and create a brighter working environment.
The new HQ showcases the power of design to achieve a memorable space unique to a company’s identity. Whether working on a project for an individual or a company, we collaborate closely with our clients to ensure that the space we create reflects them and the story they want to tell.
