Biogen II Offices
Lisboa, Portugal
Pedra Silva Arquitects developed Biogen’s Lisbon offices in 2016 and in 2020 were requested to redesign the space again to accommodate the increase in staff and need for meeting spaces.
The office comprises two levels with two distinct programs. The first level incorporates meeting pods for visitors, an auditorium, kitchen and terrace. The second level includes an open-space office, informal rooms, and a quiet room.
The challenge was to rethink the space concept whilst keeping the existing elements and creating a dynamic and coherent workplace. A primary objective was to add the CI colour scheme to evoke the idea of belonging from staff and visitors. The new space is also defined by curved glass partitions resulting in a dynamic space and enhanced by art inspired molecular structure graphics.
When comparing both spaces, one can see that the influence and interpretation of molecular structures is represented differently. The first project emphasised artistic interventions in physical elements, whilst the second project promotes natural lighting between spaces, resulting in strong visual graphic interventions.
Project Context
Oeiras, west of Lisbon, has established itself as one of Europe's notable life-sciences corridors. The municipality hosts several global pharmaceutical and biotech companies, benefiting from proximity to the University of Lisbon and a well-developed research infrastructure. Biogen's Portuguese operations sit within this context - a global biotech brand requiring a workspace that reflects both scientific rigour and a commitment to employee experience.
The Biogen II project, completed in 2020 and covering 650 m2, addresses the spatial demands of a life-sciences workplace: a need for focused individual work, structured collaboration, and spaces that communicate the organization's values to visiting partners and regulators. The brief drew from an existing office shell, requiring Pedra Silva to work within a defined envelope while achieving a distinctive interior language.
Biotech office design occupies a specific position in workplace architecture. Unlike general corporate interiors, it must balance the open-plan collaboration norms of the technology sector with the formality and precision that regulatory environments require. The design needed to feel premium without signalling excess - a recurring challenge in pharmaceutical office design across the EU.
Design Approach
The design relies on a restrained material palette: natural stone finishes, sober colour tones and controlled use of transparency to create a workspace that reads as considered and professional. Visible from the photography is a spatial grammar that uses partial-height partitions and meeting pods to zone focused and collaborative work without fully enclosing either.
Lighting strategy plays a central role - the design maximises daylight penetration across the 650 m2 floorplate while introducing warm artificial light sources in meeting and breakout zones to reduce the clinical feeling that can characterize pharmaceutical offices. The result is a workspace that communicates scientific precision through material quality rather than through literal scientific reference.
The layout follows post-pandemic flexible workplace thinking: a mix of fixed workstations, reconfigurable collaboration tables and bookable focus rooms distributed across a single open-plan floor. The spatial flow is intuitive, with reception and meeting facilities forming a clear hospitality front-of-house zone separate from the working core.
Why This Project Matters
The Biogen II Offices demonstrate Pedra Silva's capability in biotech and life-sciences workplace design in the Lisbon metropolitan area. For pharmaceutical companies, research institutions and life-sciences organizations considering workspace projects in Portugal, this project shows how a Lisbon-based architecture studio can deliver an interior architecture solution that meets the expectations of a global brand - with full project management, fit-out coordination and regulatory approvals handled locally.
Project FAQ
Who designed the Biogen II Offices?
Pedra Silva Architects designed the Biogen II Offices in Oeiras, Portugal. The project was completed in 2020 and covers 650 m2.
What type of project is the Biogen II office?
It is a workplace design and interior architecture project for a global biotech company, located in Oeiras within the Lisbon metropolitan area.
What sector does this project represent?
The project is in the life-sciences and pharmaceutical sector - a biotech office fit-out requiring a balance between laboratory-adjacent professionalism and a premium employee experience.
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