Porto, Portugal
Developed in partnership with BIG, OODA, and Ventura + Partners Arquitectos, the new headquarters of Farfetch, a British-Portuguese company active in online sales of fashion, luxury and design brands offer a varied visual and physical experience, stimulating innovation and human exchange between all those involved in the business process: creators, employees, collaborators, and customers.
The new headquarters on the slopes of Leça River in Porto is part of Fuse Valley, a vibrant urban ensemble that can grow organically and evolve over time as a natural village.
The Farfetch project features 12 interconnected buildings that each represent the various elements of the company’s organization, with the design of each space tailored accordingly.
The design amplifies the exchange of ideas between the different aspects of the organization and creates new opportunities for the approximately 3,000 Farfetch employees based in Portugal, visitors, and locals.
In the urban fabric of Fuse Valley, the buildings will each respect their own specific program, but they will not be isolated elements, but rather connected to form large contiguous working environments.
Starting from a regular grid, determined by the course of the river and the need to enhance the views of the landscape, the architects have established a layout with squares and courtyards, with the main axis linking the street and the Leça river.
Large terraces will be built on the roofs of some of the buildings, to provide panoramic views of the river from different perspectives.
The buildings will become an artificial extension of the hillside, with pathways leading from the surrounding natural landscape to the rooftops, and then inside the complex, between the squares and courtyards, to the buildings themselves.
The different heights and inclinations of the buildings will form peaks and valleys, slopes and artificial terraces. This very diverse offer allows users to enjoy spatial experiences on a human scale as well as different locations for breaks or meetings, surrounded by nature and river views.
On the ground floor, the buildings will house all the main public facilities (lobby, academy, auditorium, canteen, and wellness facilities), aimed at employees, visitors, and residents of the area.
The inclination of the buildings, rounded corners, facades that recede near the ground floor, are all solutions adopted by the architects to add texture to the streetscape and to welcome the public with natural canopies and areas that mediate the transition from the outside to the inside.
Project: Farfetch Headquarters
Architects: BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group
Design Team: Bjarke Ingels, João Albuquerque, Hanna Johansson, Natacha Fernandes Da Ponte Viveiros, Mireia Sala Font, Angel Barreno, Alberto Gonzalez-Garces, Geoffrey Eberly, Gonzalo Castro, Gonzalo Coronado, Jakub Fratczak, Javier Mora, Mathieu Michel, Matthew Reger, Paula Madrid, Stefani Fachini,Tristany Serra, Wei Lesley, Alvaro Villanueva, Ariadna Mejias, Elena Ceribelli, Gabriella Luppi, Gabriela Dal Seco, Giulia Orlando, Lena Mariella von Buren, Miquel Benedito, AND Raphaël Logan
Executive Architects: OODA-Oporto Office for Design and Architecture
Executive Architects: Ventura + Partners Arquitectos
Engineering and Sustainability Designer: Quadrante
Landscape Architects: PROAP Arquitectura Paisagista
Project Management: CORE
Project Management: Castro Red
Clients: Farfetch and Castro Group
