Portugal
ELEMENTAL
Francisco Nogueira
The EDP Headquarters in Lisbon solves the problem of being both divided and unified. The Masterplan required two linear volumes to preserve the city’s north-south continuity, but the building had to be one. The solution was a gentle slope, folding the ground into an artificial topography that connects the volumes beneath and extends one in a cantilever, opening views of the Tagus. At its heart is a civic square, designed as an open space for the city, not a forecourt to the building.
Performance and people drive the project. A grid of vertical brise-soleil shades the façades, OTIIMA’s minimal windows keep things comfortable and transparent. Inside, sustainability is encouraged through wide staircases that promote movement, flexible spaces for individual, collective, formal, and informal work. A café and rooftop gym make daily life better, and a workplace culture that values balance, health, and human connection.
