Lucía Cano

At the beginning of her career, Cano worked in the studio of her father Julio Cano Lasso (1920-1996) together with her brothers Alfonso, Diego, and Gonzalo, where she had the opportunity to participate in projects such as the Sace Laboratories Building on the university campus of Murcia (1996-1997). The family team was led by the father, who instilled an interest in painting and art in his eight children. Lucía, the youngest of the studio's four siblings, remembers that she was always very close to her father, who was continuously drawing and writing, even while resting. The children saw him enjoy his work so much that Lucía wanted such an experience for herself, eventually becoming a member of his Cano Lasso Studio until 2003.

In 1997, she began her professional relationship with José García Selgas, with whom she founded the SelgasCano studio in 1998. The studio has produced numerous works of international recognition. Their project for the Badajoz Conference Center (1999-2006) raised the prestige of the Madrid studio in its early days, while their "Office between trees" (Madrid, 2006-2007) brought the studio high-profile status, as the work was the most visited project of the ArchDaily blog. Other relevant projects created over the years include the Mérida Factory (Badajoz, 2006-2011), the Plasencia Auditorium and Conference Center (Cáceres, 2005-2013), the El Batel Auditorium and Conference Center in Cartagena (Murcia, 2004-2011), the “Casa Silicone” (Madrid, 2004-2007), the Second Home offices in London (2015), and the Louisiana Hamlet Pavilion in Copenhagen (2015-2016).

Serpentine Gallery Pavilion

In 2012, Cano participated as part of SPAINLab in the Spanish Pavilion at the 13th Venice Architecture Biennale, and in 2015 the architects of SelgasCano designed the Serpentine Gallery in Kensington Gardens. Opening on June 23, 2015, their design took the form of an amorphous labyrinth, with various entrances and exits as well as a multicolored installation built by experimenting with the translucent and opaque possibilities of a plastic called ETFE. The gallery attracted more than 170,000 visitors who were able to interact with the pavilion. Embodying the playfulness that is characteristic of SelgasCano's works; its bright colors and organic shapes evoke a festive, childlike imagery. Yet, underneath this playfulness lies political and ecological assertions: as the materials used on the pavilion, such as methacrylate, are more sustainable and recyclable than traditional architectural materials like glass, the work suggests a new, resourceful vernacular.

Second Home

The Serpentine Gallery's style finds much in common with Selgascano's Second Home spaces. In 2014, SelgasCano began its collaboration with the British company Second Home to design co-working spaces for startup companies. Their projects have transformed existing buildings into vibrant backdrops filled with curving forms and greenery, which has become Second Home’s signature architectural style. The bright palette and choice of furniture created an energetic office space for small- to medium-sized groups to work and interact. Due to the flexible nature of the spaces, SelgasCano’s proposal ensures a range of activities and events can take place in shared areas for everyone. The architectural firm has designed a total of four office spaces in London, one in Lisbon, and a 90,000 square feet campus in East Hollywood.