BIG has unveiled the design for a new headquarters building for Farfetch, a luxury online fashion platform. The purpose-built “fashion village” will be built on the slopes of Leça River in Porto, Portugal and is part of the larger Fuse Valley site. Fuse Valley, also designed by BIG, will feature 24 buildings that will be home to various tech companies, startups, and services.
“Rather than a corporate office complex, Farfetch’s future home in Fuse Valley will be a lively urban ensemble bringing every curator, creator, customer and collaborator together in the most innovative new neighborhood of the city,” said Bjarke Ingels, Founder and Creative Director, BIG, in a release. “The urban fabric will allow Fuse Valley to grow and expand organically, like a natural village.”
The Farfetch project will feature 12 interconnected buildings that each represent the various elements of the company’s organization, with the design of each space tailored accordingly. BIG’s design will amplify the exchange of ideas between the different aspects of the organization and create new opportunities for the approximately 3,000 Farfetch employees based in Portugal, visitors, and locals.
SEE ALSO: New resort will be carved directly into a mountainside
Fuse Valley as a whole is organized around plazas, parks, and courtyards that are landscaped and programmed to connect the indoors with the outdoors. Individual buildings rest on a series of urban terraces connecting the main road to the east with the Leça River to the west. Along the central arrival axis, an urban alley will open all the way from the street to the river. It will feature all the major public programs and amenities along the riverfront of Farfetch, including lobbies, an academy, an auditorium, a canteen, and wellness facilities.
The project will be a manmade extension of the hillside. The roofs of the new buildings will rise and fall to create peaks and valleys with slopes and terraces providing employees with open spaces to enjoy breaks and host gatherings. Paths will extend from the landscape to the roofscape, creating flexible way finding for people to move around the complex.
Facades will recede at the ground flow to expand the public realm and create natural canopies to welcome visitors. The chamfered corners of the buildings will merge to create archways and openings between the courtyards that will act like canvases for different artistic expressions. Atelier-like attics with additional ceiling heights and open mezzanines will be created by the sloping roofs of the buildings. Open connections extend from the attic mezzanines all the way to the ground to create visual and physical connectivity across all floors.
The interior of all the buildings will prioritize an immersion in nature and provide a biophilic environment that will increase productivity and wellbeing. The vegetation will also provide a naturally shaded and cooled environment.
The Farfetch HQ project is slated to break ground in early 2023 and open in 2025.
Related Stories
Urban Planning | Apr 17, 2023
The future of the 20-minute city
Gensler's Stacey Olson breaks down the pros and cons of the "20-minute city," from equity concerns to data-driven design.
Multifamily Housing | Apr 17, 2023
World's largest multifamily building pursuing ILFI Zero Carbon certification under construction in Washington, D.C.
The Douglass, in Washington, D.C.’s Ward 8, is currently the largest multifamily housing project to pursue Zero Carbon Certification from the International Living Future Institute (ILFI).
Urban Planning | Apr 12, 2023
Watch: Trends in urban design for 2023, with James Corner Field Operations
Isabel Castilla, a Principal Designer with the landscape architecture firm James Corner Field Operations, discusses recent changes in clients' priorities about urban design, with a focus on her firm's recent projects.
Market Data | Apr 11, 2023
Construction crane count reaches all-time high in Q1 2023
Toronto, Seattle, Los Angeles, and Denver top the list of U.S/Canadian cities with the greatest number of fixed cranes on construction sites, according to Rider Levett Bucknall's RLB Crane Index for North America for Q1 2023.
Contractors | Apr 10, 2023
What makes prefabrication work? Factors every construction project should consider
There are many factors requiring careful consideration when determining whether a project is a good fit for prefabrication. JE Dunn’s Brian Burkett breaks down the most important considerations.
Mixed-Use | Apr 7, 2023
New Nashville mixed-use high-rise features curved, stepped massing and wellness focus
Construction recently started on 5 City Blvd, a new 15-story office and mixed-use building in Nashville, Tenn. Located on a uniquely shaped site, the 730,000-sf structure features curved, stepped massing and amenities with a focus on wellness.
Affordable Housing | Mar 14, 2023
3 affordable housing projects that overcame building obstacles
These three developments faced certain obstacles during their building processes—from surrounding noise suppression to construction methodology.
Mixed-Use | Mar 11, 2023
Austin mixed-use development will provide two million sf of office, retail, and residential space
In Austin, Texas, the seven-building East Riverside Gateway complex will provide a mixed-use community next to the city’s planned Blue Line light rail, which will connect the Austin Bergstrom International Airport with downtown Austin. Planned and designed by Steinberg Hart, the development will include over 2 million sf of office, retail, and residential space, as well as amenities, such as a large park, that are intended to draw tech workers and young families.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Feb 27, 2023
New 20,000-seat soccer stadium will anchor neighborhood development in Indianapolis
A new 20,000-seat soccer stadium for United Soccer League’s Indy Eleven will be the centerpiece of a major neighborhood development in Indianapolis. The development will transform the southwest quadrant of downtown Indianapolis by adding more than 600 apartments, 205,000 sf of office space, 197,000 sf for retail space and restaurants, parking garages, a hotel, and public plazas with green space.
Retail Centers | Feb 24, 2023
Santiago Calatrava unveils plans for a luxury retail and office complex in Düsseldorf, Germany
Renowned architect and engineer Santiago Calatrava, along with the CENTRUM Group, has unveiled plans for Calatrava Boulevard, a luxury retail and office complex in Düsseldorf, Germany. Running parallel to Königsallee and connecting with the Steinstrasse station, Calatrava Boulevard will incorporate and connect to the boulevard’s existing buildings.