Atelier Write transforms Tokyo warehouse into reconfigurable Unravel hair salon

Japanese studio Atelier Write has converted a warehouse in Tokyo's Kiyosumi Shirakawa district into a hair salon named Unravel, featuring a flexible interior system. Mirrors, shelves, and curtains are suspended from ceiling-mounted industrial rails, allowing the space to be reconfigured for seminars and retail pop-ups. The warehouse's steel frame was painted pastel green, with full-height curtains in pink mesh fabric to soften the metal palette. Three large hanging mirrors with galvanised steel worktops can be moved to define or open up the salon area. Furniture includes green steel shelving and low timber cubic tables, all designed to be easily movable. The large shutter opening was retained and glazed, sheltered by a corrugated metal canopy. A green-painted steel staircase leads to a raw, unfinished studio on the first floor. Studio founder Takuya Sakamoto, who founded Atelier Write in 2019 after working at Nihon Sekkei and Schemata Architects, said the system allows the space to transform dynamically for different activities. The salon aims to encourage a reciprocal relationship with the city beyond conventional salon use. Photography by Kenta Hasegawa.