The Coal Office. Creativity, also in detail

The new London headquarters of the Tom Dixon brand are immersed in a vibrant and continuously expanding fabric of creativity and technology which has contributed towards the relaunch of the King's Cross area, proposing itself as a multidisciplinary platform for innovation in design

Tom Dixon is his own entrepreneur, dedicated to his own talent, combining several passions: for shape, materials and production. His creative universe features gold, a lot of copper, highly polished, soft, opaque and rough metals, majestic and gaudy armchairs, lighting objects which have become a cult and an array of fun ideas for the table as well as stationary. It also includes rugs, clothing ranges, candles, door stops… Profoundly different experiences in which the boundaries between author and brand fade away, not only in terms of homonymy, but also by means of an invention process and an interest in the entire production chain, embracing a vivid interest in sales, communication and promotion strategies.
The new London headquarters have been conceived to reflect this sheer versatility, as an uncommon scenario for narration and interaction: offices dedicated to creative research combined with retail. As Dixon himself explains: “We’ll use these 1,625 square metres in this incredible position as a platform for transmitting our ideas on interior design, product innovation and experimentation into food, functions and future life”.

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The space is extensive and suggestive because Dixon, in view of a tenacious bond with British tradition, has chosen to move his headquarters from Ladbroke Grove to King’s Cross, in the Granary Square area. A strategic area, close to the capital’s main transport hub in the north, attractive in virtue of the urban regeneration project which has resulted in the renovation of iconic examples of industrial architecture, redefining spaces between them and new residential units.

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The hub of Tom Dixon Studio is located in a former coal deposit dating back to 1851, consisting of a series of Victorian buildings along Regent’s Canal. Rebaptised as The Coal Office, the complex contains a flagship store, showroom and offices, as well as a restaurant opening soon and a roof terrace.
David Morley Architects were entrusted with the restructuring project, while Tom Dixon Studio took care of interior design, with particular emphasis on the spirit of pre-existence. Therefore brick walls and vaults have remained in full view, matched with light and coal black parquet flooring.  The brand’s furnishings and lights enhance the atmosphere of this “new home”, guiding the brand’s discovery and understanding experience.

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Credits
Client/Owner: Tom Dixon
Location: King’s Cross, London, UK
Architectural design: David Morley Architects
Interior Design: Tom Dixon
Furnishings: Tom Dixon
Lightings: Tom Dixon
Photo Credits: Courtesy of Tim Dixon