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Studio — Lisbon / Oslo

A studio that works the night shift.

Maridor was founded in Lisbon in 1998 and opened its Oslo studio in 2011. Twenty-two architects, designers and makers share one conviction: a building is only finished when the lights come on.

Maridor was founded in Lisbon in 1998 and opened its Oslo studio in 2011. Twenty-two architects, designers and makers share one conviction: a building is only finished when the lights come on.

Est. 1998

Est. 1998

Dark dining room with a long timber table lit by a few low pendants

The Lisbon studio, Thursday review evening

21:30

01 — Our story

We began with a single desk lamp and a borrowed model table in Alfama. The habit of reviewing work after dark started there — out of necessity — and became the way we design.

Over twenty-six years we have completed twenty-four buildings in eleven countries: private houses, pavilions, workplaces, housing and a handful of interiors we could not resist. Every one was drawn twice, at noon and at midnight.

In 2011 Henrik Berg opened our Oslo studio, a short walk from the fjord. The two studios work as one: Lisbon’s long evenings and Oslo’s long winters taught us different things about light, and our projects borrow from both.

02 — Principles

Four rules we draw by.

01

Draw the night first

Every project begins with a lighting plan. Walls are drawn to hold the pools of light, not the other way round.

02

Hide the source

We show the glow, never the fixture. Light should feel as if it belongs to the material it touches.

03

Keep somewhere dark

Contrast makes a room feel generous. Every building keeps one place deliberately in shadow.

04

Build less, light less

Compact plans, fewer fixtures, warmer light — better for the night sky and the people beneath it.

03 — People

The people who stay late.

Partners, architects, a lighting lead and a model maker. Every project is led by a partner from the first sketch to the first evening.

Partners, architects, a lighting lead and a model maker. Every project is led by a partner from the first sketch to the first evening.

Inês Maridor

Founding Partner

Lisbon

Draws every facade twice: once at noon, once at midnight.

Henrik Berg

Partner, Oslo

Oslo

Collects broken streetlamps from flea markets and rewires them.

Tomás Reis

Design Director

Lisbon

Believes a good staircase is a slow film.

Sigrid Holm

Lighting Lead

Oslo

Measures every room in lux before metres.

Amara Okafor

Associate, Interiors

Lisbon

Keeps a swatch box of black — forty-one shades so far.

Daniel Ferreira

Project Architect

Lisbon

Walks every site at 2 a.m. at least once.

Lena Vik

Model Maker

Oslo

Builds 1:50 models lit by a single LED.

Rafael Costa

Site Lead

Lisbon

Has never missed a concrete pour, rain or shine.

04 — Two studios

Two cities, one long evening.

Apartment building at dusk in Lisbon with warm lit windows

Lisbon

Rua das Janelas Verdes 37, 1200-690 Lisboa

Founded 1998 · 14 people · Review evenings on Thursdays

Towers in Oslo at night with warm lit floors

Oslo

Tjuvholmen allé 14, 0252 Oslo

Founded 2011 · 8 people · Review evenings on Wednesdays

Join the night shift.

We are always glad to hear from architects, lighting designers and model makers who care about the hours after dark.

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