Creating Cultural Spaces: Sella Concept

“Selfishly, we know we are onto something if we can't wait to hang out in a space and bring our friends down.”

Each project that Sella Concept undertakes involves a certain emotional investment. “We have had to learn to emotionally disconnect after a while,” says Tatjana von Stein, “although we never really do.”

For Tatjana and Gayle Noonan, who co-founded the London-based design studio in 2017, a successful space goes far beyond its immediate function. Sella Concept instead creates spaces that engage and inspire those that connect with them; cultural hubs with creativity and community at their core. In Sella Concept’s ambition to redefine retail, hospitality and office environments, each project they create is timeless. An ardent refusal to follow conventions is also a mainstay it the studio’s work.

Below, Tatjana and Gayle discuss the joys of effective public spaces.

What factors are essential in creating an effective communal space?

Gayle: With so many things to do in London, we're never short of ways to entertain ourselves. People rush around this city in search of new venues and hangouts but transforming a visiting customer into a returning customer requires a space to have a distinct identity. Identity is instantly observed, it is the essence of a brand and a person will either align themselves with it or not. Why do we find ourselves returning to our local pub or a cosy restaurant? It's usually because we identify with certain aspects of it – the people, the culture, the brand. When creating a communal space it is essential to identify factors such as community, amenities and culture. In each project, we try to thoroughly consider each factor – it's a winning formula.

Tatjana: We are currently creating a brief for a church plot in London. Our job is to build a community and a culture that adheres to the developer’s very specific criteria. The formula still applies!

What intrigues you about spaces and how people interact with them?

Tatjana: Our surroundings constantly send messages to our brain that determine how we react, how we feel and how we take in and remember moments. It fascinates me that we can provoke these feelings through our designs. A sense of responsibility lies with the designer to give value to their guests and the wider local area. We're currently switching our minds from a high-end restaurant audience to a church community and an 80s decadent baller!

What are the key considerations when tasked with designing a new space – what questions do you ask?

Tatjana: What brings people there? What makes people stay? Do you want them to stay? We have to consider millions of questions, both conceptually and practically, on a daily basis. We love questioning our decisions. Our favourite projects are those that allow us to answer the question: how can we transport an audience?

Where do you look to for inspiration?

Tatjana: In my everyday life, I find inspiration in art but also from walking around with open eyes and an open mind. It is remarkable how a small detail in the street or in nature, people or a building can prompt a new line of discovery. We love mixing styles, eras and cultures so there is rarely a time that we feel a lack of inspiration to create and design. The busier we are, the more difficult and equally important it is to drag ourselves out of the studio. It is very easy to become submerged in a single train of thought.

If you had to name one standout space that you haven’t designed, what would it be? Why did it have such an impact on you?

Tatjana: This is by far, always the most difficult question. Where do you start? My answer is always changing but one a design that remains consistent is the immaculate work of Dimore Studio.

Gayle: There are so many projects to mention but the Dimore Studio project that continuously inspires is its Aesop Corso Magenta Store in Milan. The studio’s brevity is so refreshing and the result is breathtaking, no matter how many times you return. Sella Concept salutes you Dimore Studio.............................call us x

You work across interior design, event design and branding. Why is having such a holistic approach important?

Gayle: For us, design is all about the application of its principles. It starts with a simple question – the brief – that requires an answer – the resolution. Whether it's designing the interior, the branding or the experience, you are still at the mercy of the same question which ultimately lies with the brand. If you can understand, interpret and resolve the brand from an interior perspective, then you can apply the same principles to resolve its visual language and brand experience. They're all tributaries feeding into the same ocean.

For Tatjana and I, the more avenues that we have control of, the more possibility there is for discipline cross-pollination. It's incredibly fun when you're trying to resolve a interior texture combination and something you've explored within the project’s branding subconsciously leads you to the answer.

Why is a space so important to creativity?     

Both:In the same way that our mood can ct our creativity, our environment can emotionally stimulate. Fortunately, we're both complete sponges and our porous brains are gasping for the next creative distraction. We're constantly on the lookout for inspiration. Having a womb-like, all-pink, enveloping studio creates a calming force field and provides us with a haven to really focus.

What does your own studio look like and how do the design decisions you made make it an effective working space?

Tatjana: It's a pink box with a touch of Bauhaus modernism. As per usual it's trying to strike a balance of style but adheres to none!

You can only really tell the success of a space once it is completed and in everyday use. It is challenging predicting how people will use a space?

Tatjana: It’s a challenge! We have had to learn to emotionally disconnect after a while, although we never really do. We seem to get involved all the way down to marketing. I suppose the key to success is an aligned vision and goal for all parties. Selfishly, we know we are onto something if we can't wait to hang out in a space and bring our friends down. I suppose there is always a little bit of us in each project we complete. That said, our core ambition always lies with the brand and its target audience.