A Look Inside OLX’s New Lisbon Office

Location: Lisbon, Portugal
Date completed: 2022
Size: 48,437 square feet
Design: Pedra Silva Arquitectos
Photos: Do Mal o Menos

Trading platform OLX recently hired architecture firm Pedra Silva Arquitectos to design their new office in Lisbon, Portugal.

“OLX Group is a network of leading classified platforms present in 45 markets and includes brands like OLX, Avito, letgo, dubizzle, storia, stradia, among others. The Group connects local people to buy, sell or exchange used goods and services, making it fast and easy for anyone to post a listing through the web. Its young and informal environment follows the tendency of contemporary information technology companies, placing employees’ mental health and physical comfort on top of their priority list.

We wanted the project to reflect the charming, colourful city of Lisbon and simultaneously meet the demands of informality and flexibility of contemporary offices.

The main working spaces are located near the façade to allow staff develop their activities with as much natural light possible. We also created clusters with different spaces and programs to assist with privacy and acoustics. The meeting rooms and individual booths provide staff with more options to work, both individually and collectively.

An objective was to make the (traditional) Portuguese tile the focal point since one can find them all over the city. These tiles represent the distinctive Portuguese workmanship, whilst offering great flexibility in terms of use. For acoustics we designed a matching acoustic absorbent tile made from Burel Mountain Originals – a Portuguese fabric handmade from 100% pure wool.

Finally, all glass partition frames and joinery are bespoke, with a design also developed by us and detailed at a 1:1 scale.This sort of craftsmanship work is prevalent in all our projects and is commonly used in Portuguese culture.”