Executed by architectural studio Isern Serra, the refurbishment of multidisciplinary practice Six N. Five’s Barcelona workspace presents the city with a new cultural hub.

Key features

Producers of digital images, films and objects, Six N. Five is renowned for its experimental approach and innovative work. The team’s creative ethos comes to the forefront in its revitalized office, which doubles as a showroom for public exhibitions and events. Among the L-shaped workspace’s more conventional areas, like a space for talks and presentations and a production workshop, there is room dedicated especially to leisure and virtual-reality experiences, and a specialty coffee shop. Each of the private spaces connect to a large terrace, a green-lined place for employees to relax and recharge.

Overall, craftsmanship is the foundation of Isern Serra’s design concept for the multipurpose space. The studio removed existing partitions and false ceilings within the concrete structure to capitalize upon the architecture’s volume. The addition of a mezzanine allowed the studio to respond to Six N. Five’s need for diverse programming, by creating a means to efficiently separate the public and private areas; curtains enable the staff to adjust the privacy levels depending on what’s going on during any given day. Earth tones, textural materiality and a well-considered mix of bespoke and iconic furniture cement the inviting ambience.

Frame’s take

Over the past year, we’ve exhaustively investigated the ways that offices will have to change to remain relevant in our post-COVID reality. We know that the traditional headquarters simply won’t cut it anymore. But what if that central location would be accessible to more than just its workers? The ‘porous office’, as that concept has been labelled, gives companies the opportunity to foster a more open, iterative atmosphere for its staff by establishing greater connection with the outside world. Where could that be more powerful than in an industry like design, that thrives on ideas, innovation and inspiration? Isern Serra’s meticulously fused balance of public and private should be a driving example for those creative companies who don’t necessarily want to abandon their urban addresses but can’t keep operating their studios as before – fostering community, as we’ve learned, is fundamental to the shift work is undergoing.