Discover places

La Vaca Coworking

Once a former dairy, La Vaca (“the cow”) is now a creative coworking space in Barcelona’s Poble Sec neighborhood. The bright interior is filled with natural light and equipped with spacious desks, comfy seats, soundproof phone booths and a dedicated room for meetings.The bustling space also features a self-service kitchen where coworkers can snag a free coffee and chat with fellow Vaqueros. La Vaca’s basement houses additional workstations plus a few chill out areas. What would a coworking be without ping pong, a pool table and video came console for those little, creative breaks?The community is active with a friendly vibe. To bring coworkers together, foster a sense of community and help members grow, La Vaca organize many activities and events such as bootcamps, fitness meetups (stretching, running, hiking, yoga), sports activities (football, beach volleyball), Paella Day, artistic afterworks and more…Membership includes free wifi, water, tea & coffee; access to events, meeting room (8 people), 2 Skype rooms, kitchen, lockers; use of printer, scanner, 3 projectors; fingerprint access; reception of packages. Air conditioning / heating. Dog friendly.

C/ Creu dels Molers, 19

Geneva Business School

After a lengthy lockdown in Spain, Barcelona is finally beginning to open up, and that means so is the Geneva Business School’s beautiful new campus in Plaça Catalunya. When the world went into quarantine due to COVID-19, the school's students and staff successfully moved online, and many returned to their home countries.With the return to the “new normal,” the university is now pleased to offer private tours of its new campus. In early 2020, Geneva Business School welcomed its students, staff and faculty to a new building just off the iconic Plaça Catalunya, within walking distance of the glamorous Passeig de Gràcia and arguably Barcelona’s most famous street, Las Ramblas.Barcelona is synonymous with sun, sea, and sports, but it is also a top destination for tech startups, multinationals, and innovation. The city is perfect for young entrepreneurs with non-stop events and an immense pool of talent to exchange ideas with. The school’s Barcelona campus was designed with the feel of a co-working space in mind and features quiet study zones, collaboration areas and state-of-the-art technology to facilitate a rich learning experience. All of the university’s classrooms are fitted with live stream cameras to run hybrid classes as students slowly return to this wonderful city to start or continue their studies.The modern Auditorium, in the center of the building, is the ideal location for their Industry Insights sessions, where guest speakers discuss the latest trends, give advice, and take questions. These sessions cover a vast range of topics, from how to make it as an entrepreneur to top tips for personal growth.From the roof terrace, you can catch the majestic view of Tibidabo, the intricate rooftops of the Gothic quarter, and glimpses of the streetlife that give Barcelona its unique personality. Students can enjoy a game of ping-pong, eat lunch in the sun, or just have a quiet rest in a bean bag between classes.Geneva Business School provides professionally accredited business education in Geneva, Barcelona, Madrid and online. The university offers bachelor’s, master’s, MBA, International Executive MBA and diverse continued education options that are 100% in English, and are committed to using innovative learning methods and new technology. Geneva Business School provides professionally accredited business education in Geneva, Barcelona, Madrid and online. They offer bachelor’s, master’s, MBA, International Executive MBA, DBA, and diverse continued education options that are 100% in English, and are committed to using innovative learning methods and new technology. If you’d like to schedule a tour, please send an email to barcelona@gbsge.com.

C/ Rivadeneyra, 4

Support Local Businesses

Supporting local businesses is more important now than ever before. Barcelona is a haven for inventive, passionate people who have carved their own little niche with skill and ingenuity, a niche that threatens to be filed away by the ‘Big A’ and their ugly ilk. Well, boycott the behemoths. Buy local and stay loyal to Barcelona’s local creatives.A community-focused brunch restaurant in Poblenou, Little Fern takes inspiration from New Zealand's thriving cafe culture. Their eclectic menu includes wholesome and delicious food paired with specialty coffee, signature wellness lattes, cold pressed juices and signature breakfast cocktails. You can now treat yourself, or someone you love to an amazing post lockdown brunch, with a Little Fern gift card.One of the staples of Sant Antoni, La Bombilla has become more than just a cocktail bar. Owner Benoit has built a communal space that has a life of its own. Incredible drinks, great service and beautiful rustic interiors are just part of what makes La Bombilla so special. For the rest, words won’t do. So, help keep the lights on through La Bombilla’s GoFundMe campaign. All donations will be given back as vouchers, to be used at a later date.Pulse-raising poetry seems perfectly placed in Barcelona. That’s exactly why Prostíbulo Poético (the Poetry Brothel) has proved so successful in the city. The erotic linguists delivered profound insights mixed with a bit of kink for good measure – now, with the unprecedented damage facing the cultural industry, they need the help of their community. Any donation to their GoFundMe campaign, however small, will help keep this fantastic company alive – donations of over €5 will buy a one-to-one experience over the phone, with the poet of your choice.

Barcelona

Depot Lab

Forget the soulless feel of some of the city’s shared office spaces. Located on the border of Gràcia and Eixample, Depot Lab draws on the original spirit of coworking: an informal vibe, open environment and a sociable community.Launched in 2016 by Dutch national Renzo and Andorra native Deborah, the founders are an intricate part of the Depot Lab culture. They promote events, activities and offer Depot Help for freelancers, entrepreneurs and startups, including assistance in everything from acquiring insurance or an NIE tax number to hiring talent and securing financing. They also operate a larger space of private offices near the Joanic Metro. Built on the pillars of “honesty, authenticity, inspiration, innovation, enjoyment, creativity, collaboration and, of course Dutch sobriety,” the 600 m2 space is much more than just a workspace – it’s a community. Follow them on social media to stay abreast of upcoming events, including summer parties.

C/ Bruc, 149

ImaginCafé

Looking for a café with free wifi where you can get some work done? You’ve just found the perfect one, and it goes way beyond a café. ImaginCafé is a place like no other in Barcelona. It’s a café (by Rodilla), coworking and creative space, event venue and exhibition space all in one building, just off Plaça Catalunya.It’s for everyone who could use a desk and a good Internet connection now and then but doesn’t want to commit to a coworking space full-time. If you need some privacy, you can book meeting rooms of three different sizes for just five euros an hour. A hub for students, digital nomads and artists, at ImaginCafé the air is full of energy and creative vibes.They’re also all about digital culture and arts: across its two floors, you’ll find everything from a gaming arena to a multimedia lab. The space is an iniative by ImaginBank, CaixaBank’s mobile-only bank aimed at millenials.

C/ Pelai, 11

TMDC

Tools. Materials. Machines. Innovation. TMDC is a coworking space dedicated to makers, and a space where you can turn your sketches into reality. Located in Sant Martí, the former industrial warehouse district that’s become the city’s hub for innovation startups, TMDC provides assistance in making and the tools and machines to do so, including Wera and Festool.The creative coworking workshop also provides wood, plastic and other materials to manifest your ideas. Whether you’re a newbie or a professional, an architect, designer, or an artisan, all are welcome to take courses in learning how to use the machines. If you’re a master, you’re also welcome to teach your own workshop. TMDC offers a pay-per-use system, and before you do, you can make an appointment to view the workshop. If you’re planning on practically living at the space, consider applying for their residency program, RMDC. And students receive a 10% discount on all courses and memberships!

Rambla de Prim, 258

The Folio Club

The explosion of coworking spaces marks a new era for working in the city. In Poblenou, a neighborhood well-known for creativity and innovation, The Folio Club has expanded its roster to invite creative professionals seeking a shared space to work. The Folio Club has supported artists with its personal approach to graphic projects since opening its doors in 2014, when it was conceived as a printing and exhibition space. Housed in a renovated, 250 m2 flour factory dating back to 1900, architect and designer Skye Maunsell (Pasaje Montoya) has reimagined the space with references to the mechanical printing process and minimal, modular forms, like those by Richard Serra. And now the additional space available to creative professionals will enable The Folio Club to encourage synergies and strengthen the creative ecosystem on an even grander scale.

C/ Roc Boronat, 37

CosmoCaixa

As you descend 30 meters down a walkway, circling an Amazonian tree and following time back through millennia, you enter CosmoCaixa, a world that fascinates adults and children alike. Visitors can discover the history of matter and the wonders of science in the Hall of Matter and interactive Science Square; gain insight into geology at the Geological Wall; learn more about the planets, atmosphere and meteorology in the 3D Planetarium & Meteorological station; or better understand the habitats of species from around the world in Touch Touch. There are also additional hands-on exhibitions for younger children.Along with temporary exhibitions that have covered topics as varied as Illusionism and Science, Talking Brains or Two Ways of Looking at Antarctica, there’s the highlight of CosmoCaixa: the Flooded Forest, a reproduction of an Amazon basin complete with enormous arapaima fish, alligators and a capybara, the world’s largest rodent.Entry for adults is €4 or free for clients of CaixaBank; entry for kids under 16 is free.

C/ Isaac Newton, 26

Apocapoc

Founded by a filmmaker who makes documentaries on sustainable neighborhoods, a tech entrepreneur and a motion graphics designer, coworking space Apocapoc is an ideal blend of style, sustainability and savvy.This eco-conscious space offers a comfortable work area and cultural events in a sustainable environment. “A poc a poc” means “little by little” in Catalan and the founders have taken painstaking care to ensure that everything is ethical and future-friendly. The space was converted from a former grain factory, the floors are insulated with cork and the furniture was created from recovered wood or reworked metal. Coworkers are selected to fit the ethos, as is the events program.Join them to play poker and bet green tea, check out their art exhibitions and networking events, also look out for their organic drinks corner and line of recycled furniture, both coming soon.

Carrer d'Àlaba, 100

Labs 3D

3D printing isn’t just the future, it’s the now. Musician Will.i.am and Coca-Cola are using 3D printing to create everything from headphones to iPhone cases out of recycled plastic bottles. A group of Dutch architects are 3D printing an entire canal house in Amsterdam out of plastic. And artist Diemut Strebe used a 3D printer to grow a living replica of Vincent van Gogh’s ear with DNA taken from the painter’s descendant Lieuwe van Gogh. For mortals like you and me there is Labs 3D, a small shop in the Barri Gòtic. It is Barcelona’s first and only 3D printing store, run by brothers Juliano and Jorge Montoya. Here you can get the most unique holiday gift ever for that hard-to-buy-for loved one. To call it your own Mini-Me would be too Austin Powers. “3D selfie” is the preferred term.To obtain your 3D selfie, Labs 3D first snaps 4,000 digital snapshots of you in the span of just ten minutes. They then begin 3D printing your miniature, polymer replica; two weeks later your 3D selfie is ready. A person measuring 180 cm tall (5 ft. 11 in.) can be reduced to 14 cm (6 in.) in the smallest version, costing 99 euros, or to 22 cm (9 in.) in the largest, for 270 euros, with three sizes in between.As most of us are a little vain, Labs 3D can Photoshop the image before printing, for instance to remove those pesky love handles or airbrush blemished skin. An exact copy of oneself with the same dimensions would defy the laws of nature: a man and his double cannot exist in two places at the same time. So please, respect the order of the universe.

C/ Ample, 12

Yök Casa + Cultura

Whatever your views are on the “Tourist go home!” messages graffiti-scrawled throughout the city, you can’t possibly oppose an effort to inspire a more elegant tourism in Barcelona.Unexpectedly setting themselves up with the task is Yök Casa + Cultura: a B&B just off Urquinaona whose newly eco-renovated spaces shine not only with a more responsible approach to urban living, but also with that cool factor people come to the city for. With white-molded ceilings, distinctive Modernista tiles, a Nordic design sensibility and balconies overlooking sun-dappled façades, Yök is the type of Instagram-perfect apartment you post that gets likes by the second. Hashtag stunning.But Yök does far more than just stun. At the heart of its existence is a desire to live in a better way, in a better space, all made with a better world and community in mind – the Barcelona community. Responsible for conceiving Yök are eco-designer Petz Scholtus and hotel management expert María José Rodríguez Marañís, who went on to transform turn-of-the-century apartments into sustainable spaces for the environmentally conscious.So how “eco” is Yök? Apart from reusing objects such as reclaimed sinks and second-hand furnishings, Yök prioritizes the use of locally produced materials and furniture that require less energy to transport. For the office and event space, the team opted to restore the original floor uncovered from a layer of cork and installed kitchen counters composed of recycled content. To manage energy consumption, windows were fitted with sensors to automatically switch heating and air conditioning off when opened. Contributing to sustainable energy management, Roca’s Cold Start faucets trigger hot water only when turned to the left. Traditionally, both hot and cold water are triggered as soon as a tap is on, consuming more energy than required.Yök’s blog catalogues not only the steps taken in the renovation but also the suppliers integral to equipping the space with the most ecological options possible. One such provider is Som Energia, a renewable energy cooperative that supplies power generated by wind turbines, solar panels and biogas plants. However the unavailability of rooftop space prevents Yök from generating its own solar power, at least for now.The journey from early 20th century Modernista apartment to today’s Yök sounds more effortless than one might expect. This ease is thanks to Petz’s previous work on the R3project. Documenting the eco-renovation of a Barri Gòtic apartment from 2006 to 2010, R3project adapted urban housing to a greener lifestyle. The project made waves, attracting local and international press not only for its ingenious approach to renovation challenges, but also for its timeliness. R3project was reducing, reusing and repurposing away at a time when Europe was plunged into an energy crisis.The eco-renovation covers one aspect of Yök, focused on establishing environmentally responsible lodgings called simply Casas. The other aspect deals with something more abstract. Yök’s Cultura provides a social hub in which visitors and Barcelona locals “bring and share their culture because everyone is a local somewhere.” Yök’s manifesto asserts faithfulness to sustainability, design, hospitality and “the true Barcelona: that of its locals and never that of tourist guides.”In a world saturated with eco-buzzwords, Yök comes with the transparency to back up its claims and reveals a personal dedication to its cause. This inspires better tourism by attracting a socially-conscious traveler, eager to discover the “real” Barcelona, and doing so with respect for its environment: a traveler who shares Yök’s own philosophy. This traveler may sound like a rarity when thinking of the rowdy tourists littering the streets by day and loitering in them by night. “The barrio needs its rest” read banners strewn across buildings around El Born Centre Cultural. Red letters spray-painted on raw canvas beg for a better solution.But there are socially and environmentally conscious tourists out there. A survey by Trip-Advisor confirmed the “green” travel trend, with 71% saying they planned to make more eco-friendly choices within the next twelve months. A Condé Nast Traveler’s survey found that 93% of readers felt that companies should protect the environment and 58% pegged their hotel choice to the support the hotel provides the local community.Of course surveys are one thing and reality is another. But renovation is about realizing new possibilities for something that no longer serves its original purpose. Yök transformed a century-old apartment into a socially and environmentally responsible space for urban life today. It is an example for what big steps a small group of people can make. Transformation doesn’t happen overnight. And like Yök, Barcelona tourism could benefit from a renovation.

C/ Trafalgar 39, 8-2

Fab Lab BCN

By now, you’ve probably heard of 3D-printed objects … as mundane as tableware, as inspiring as prosthetics or as disconcerting as handguns. No longer a novelty, 3D printing is stretching the boundaries of fabrication, while also becoming a new way of to create junk. (3D-printed selfies anyone?)A hub for professionals in architecture, construction and design, Fab Lab Barcelona provides production, investigation and education surrounding 3D printing among other new-generation fabrication techniques. Fab Lab stands for “Fabrication Laboratory” and refers to a global network of 125 labs in 34 countries. While offering higher education under the IAAC, Fab Lab Barcelona makes an effort to bring digital fabrication to a wider audience, with Open Days and a number of accessible workshops every month. April lists 3D-printing and laser-cutting for fashion. Count me in!

C/ Pujades, 102