Sharing the same building as the Mercado da Ribeira – Lisbon’s Oldest Food Market – is “Second Home Lisboa”, the Portuguese capital’s latest creative co-working space to open. The interior adaptation project by Selgascano is bursting in vivid color and greenery, providing a workspace and an array of facilities for its 250 members.
As the trend of co-working spaces around the world is on the rise, Second Home Lisboa hopes to evolve into a venue that focuses on sustainability and sparks conversation and relationships between occupants. With over 1,000 plants and trees organized throughout, Selgascano uses greenery not only as a decorative element, but also to reduce background noise and improve air quality.
The interior was approached in a domestic scale: different furnishings and lights have been integrated including mid-century pieces and bauhaus originals. “Two completely different spaces have been created in the given L shaped plan: the main working space where the long table sits, and the café lounge area.”
Both designed to be distinct and even opposite spaces: one for people to work and another for people to relax, talk and unwind. Each space with a totally different ambience and personality.” – Lucia Cano, co-founder of Selgascano. The intervention is sympathetic to the existing architectural structure where the original steel beams and trusses belonging to the 1892 market are still a highlight inside the open-plan layout.
Open 24 hours a day, “second home” offers four private meeting rooms, a communal café, a library and even a surf bus to take members to the beach before and after work. In addition, the versatile nature of the interior allows it to turn into a cultural venue able host films, live music, and talks.
Design: Selgascano
Photography: Iwan Baan