Housed in one of the most emblematic buildings in the Parque das Nações, the Microsoft headquarters was recently renovated by Vector Mais with an architecture project by Openbook. The new office reflects the culture implemented by Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, and the changes that have taken place over the last few years in how people work and the company's own business.
Seven years after moving to the Parque das Nações, Microsoft completely restructured the interior space of its headquarters, creating new spaces and a more familiar and comfortable environment, perfect to foster creativity and collaboration. Now the headquarters has more than 500 workstations, 105 meeting and collaboration rooms, phone booths, lounges and cafeterias, all developed with a strong spirit of functionality and sustainability.
Celebrating 30 years of presence in Portugal in 2020, the project also highlighted the connection to the country, visible in details such as the use of Bamer's partitions, Amorim Wikanders flooring or Ferreira de Sá rugs, among others.

“The future is today. We have been operating in Portugal for 30 years, but the business has changed and grown, so the space had to follow this innovation. Our mission is to empower all people and organizations on the planet to achieve more and we believe that this more comfortable and inviting space will help employees unleash their full potential and challenge customers and partners so that together we can create more value. 
We want this space to embrace talent, cultivate productivity, activate creativity, and stimulate growth. And even being all that, it is still a place that is familiar to us and where we feel almost as comfortable as if we were in our home.” Paula Panarra, General Director, Microsoft Portugal

“For Openbook it was a very interesting challenge. The office reflects the new work trends and it was great to apply them here. We achieved this with very good acoustics in the spaces, using warmer and more comfortable materials like wood and cork, which is very Portuguese. With the amount of space and traffic paths that we have created, with meeting points allied to this more cosy environment, we have been able to give the entire building a less corporate and more comfortable appearance.” Ana Silveira e Castro, Architect, Openbook

“It was a big challenge, we are talking about a 5000 m2 building with four floors and Microsoft has operated in three of them during the construction. We acted on one of the floors, we demolished the whole space and rebuilt it according to the project. Here we have built a home environment, we feel that we are not in a traditional office, but rather in a space that is very comfortable. The carpentry elements were clearly very important in the construction of the space. We had to match the building materials with the specialties and lighting, which had a great deal of weight in creating a scenic environment, in creating spaces of comfort.” Duarte Aires, CEO, Vector Mais

Functional furniture for innovative workspaces

Pedrali products were selected to furnish the new configuration of Microsoft offices in Lisbon, a project of both architecture and interior design that stems from the collaboration of two Portoguese studios, OPENBOOK Architecture and Vector Mais, and reflects the changes occurred in the last few years in the way people work within companies. Increasingly flexible and versatile settings, focused on employee wellbeing and creativity, as claimed by Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft. 

Housed in one of the most emblematic buildings in the Parque das Nações neighbourhood, Lisbon, the headquarters of the technology giant are organised on four floors, creating a collaborative, open environment in which human interaction and wellbeing are maximized, suggesting a sense of harmony between man and technology. The environment is enriched with textures and details of the Portuguese culture, making it original and unique. 

Furniture plays a key role providing the setting with warmth and openness. The space was developed with a strong spirit of functionality and sustainability and has a total capacity of 1048 seats, articulated in over 500 workstations and 105 rooms conceived for a wide range of purposes: from phone booths to meeting and conference rooms, to multifunctional rooms. It is in these areas that Buddy poufs are placed, designed by Busetti Garuti Redaelli, they stand out for their friendly spirit and the contrast between the bold volumes of the seat and the slender lightweight frame. Thanks to the different sizes, they allow multiple combinations matching the varied needs of contemporary and multipurpose spaces. Aimed at creating small corners for socialising, Malmö armchairs, designed by CMP Design, evoke warmth sensations suggested by the combination of the touch of ash wood with the softness of a plywood shell upholstered in fabric. Nolita outdoor armchairs, designed by CMP Design, shape informal meeting areas. Completely made of steel, these chairs are light and resistant, easy to clean, maintain and move. Arki-Table tables, with their versatility and clean lines, eventually create modern meeting rooms. 

There are also a restaurant and a cafeteria to take a break while enjoying the breathtaking view on Tago river. Here a touch of colour is given by Intrigo chairs, designed by Marco Pocci e Claudio Dondoli, selected in green and matching with the tile.