#COMMERCIAL ARCHITECTURE PROJECTS
A Shared Workspace by Anahory Almeida in Lisbon Blurs the Line Between Work and Leisure
Combining the flexibility of shared workspaces with the amenities of members clubs under the motto “work is good”, WOOD was conceived as a premium co-working space for Lisbon’s freelancers, start-ups and other nomadic professionals.
A short distance from Marquês de Pombal in central Lisbon, WOOD is housed in a 1960s eight-storey building, which has been transformed by Ana Anahory and Felipa Almeida of architecture and interior design studio Anahory Almeida into a relaxed, cheerful environment of modernist-inspired contemporary elegance where members can not only work and socialize but also attend a yoga class, take a shower, and even have a massage.
Echoing the building’s modernist architecture, the designers have imbued WOOD’s interiors with a mid-century elegance filtered through a contemporary lens that reimagines the suave offices of the Mad Men TV series as a more inclusive, equitable and inspiring workplace. Inspired by the original mosaics cladding the facade, the spaces are swathed in a subdued colour palette of green and blue hues complemented by natural wood finishes – as the brand’s name dictates – and soft leather upholstery in sumptuous brown hues. Lush indoor plants, colourful artisanal tiles and framed illustrations further imprint a laidback feel.
Spread over eight floors, including 45 private offices, 5 meeting rooms, 12 meeting boxes and 7 phone booths for private calls, as well as two floors of open-plan offices, the facility is rich in amenities that cater both to members’ professional requirements and their sense of well-being. In fact, you’d be excused if you thought initially that WOOD is a health club since it also features a gym with regular yoga classes, electric bikes for short trips around town, a beauty salon and a wellness centre offering everything from Ayurvedic therapies and meditation classes, to relaxation massages, aromatherapy and reflexology sessions - all with the aim of enhancing members’ productivity and balancing their professional and personal life.
With a ready supply of fresh fruit, water, tea and coffee, free breakfast on Mondays and a happy hour on Thursdays, plus two terraces, a ground floor restaurant, and a library with books on various subjects such as entrepreneurialism, leadership, technology and health, the venue holistically reframes the concept of workspace in terms of wellness, artfully blurring the line between work and leisure.
