Lucas Muñoz transforms 1960s office into sustainable furniture showroom

Spanish designer Lucas Muñoz has completed a fit out of a 1960s office building in Madrid to create CoLab, a hybrid showroom and workspace for furniture brand Sancal. The 300-square-metre space reuses materials from the original office that could not be recycled, embedding circularity at the core of the refurbishment.

Located on the fourth floor of the O'Donnell 34 building, Madrid’s first modern office block designed in 1966 by Antonio Lamela, the project involved careful dismantling of partitions, ceilings, and flooring.

Original terrazzo floors and concrete columns were exposed and restored, while salvaged materials were repurposed into functional elements such as wall cladding, shelving, and lighting fixtures.

Fluorescent lights were converted into LED fittings with bespoke wooden frames, and aluminium floor plates were reused as reflective wall panels to enhance natural daylight.

Construction company Zimenta supported the fit out by repurposing materials into composite flooring and ceiling systems, while non-profit Asociación Norte Joven assisted with LED lighting transformations.

Walls for new facilities were crafted from dismantled masonry, moved on wheels, and repositioned with zero waste. Muñoz’s modular material approach allowed the team to evaluate each element for reuse, significantly reducing demolition and waste.

The project demonstrates a workshop-style, collaborative approach, combining architects, designers, artisans, and socially driven organisations. CoLab also maintains cost parity with standard office refurbishments, showing that sustainable fit out solutions can be achieved without excessive budgets.

Discover how sustainable materials can redefine your office fit out projects by exploring CoLab’s approach in the full story.