Oslo Cowork, a compact coworking space designed by BABELstudio, is located in Bilbao, Spain. Featuring a minimalist aesthetic, the office serves as both an architecture photography studio and a coworking space. The design incorporates a double-height structure, creating distinct zones for different activities.

Minimalist Office Design
Oslo Cowork, a compact office designed by BABELstudio, serves as both the new studio for architecture photographer Erlantz Biderbost and a coworking space in Bilbao. Nestled alongside the Nervion river in the Olabeaga neighbourhood, the area was once home to shipyards, industrial plants, and warehouses but had been abandoned over time. Recently, the region has experienced revitalization as it is rediscovered and transformed.
The design brief for this project was to integrate three to five workstations, a meeting and retreat space, kitchenette, bathroom, and extended storage into a rather small 39-square-metre (420 square feet) gross floor area with a double-height ceiling.
To make efficient use of the limited space, a two-level design was implemented, utilizing the room’s height to create a distinct mezzanine level. This separated the meeting and retreat area from the permanent working places on the street level.

Innovative Space Organization
Rather than pushing the mezzanine level to the sides or back wall, BABELstudio organized the space around a central, free-standing volume. This volume accommodated all secondary uses while provi...