At Second Home Mercado in Lisbon, a world-class biophilic design meets cutting-edge connectivity. To support its vibrant community, Wifirst deployed a future-proof WiFi 7 infrastructure featuring a 10Gb Fibre backbone and dual 5Gb resilient connection. Learn more about it below.
// SECOND HOME: A VANGUARD BIOPHILIC DESIGN
Located on the first floor of the iconic Mercado da Ribeira (home to the Time Out Market), Second Home Mercado is widely recognised as one of the greenest and most creative coworking spaces in Europe. Spanning 12,000 square feet, the space is a masterpiece of biophilic design, featuring over 1,000 plants, 500 unique mid-century chairs, and a 70-meter winding communal table.
As a "creative accelerator," Second Home curates a diverse community of 250+ members, ranging from global innovators like Volkswagen to local startups and freelancers. To support this mission of "serendipitous collaboration," they required a digital infrastructure as fluid and organic as their physical architecture.
// CHALLENGE: CONNECTIVITY IN A HISTORIC LANDMARK
The conversion of an 1892 heritage market hall into a high-density digital hub presented unique technical hurdles:
- Architectural Interference: The original iron trusses and dense canopy of 1,200+ plants act as physical barriers to wireless signals.
- Mission-Critical Diversity: The network must simultaneously support high-bandwidth creative agencies, sensitive Building Management Systems (BMS), CCTV, and secure shared printing.
- Zero-Failure Requirement: As a 24-hour facility, any downtime directly impacts the productivity of global innovators and local startups.
// SOLUTION: ULTRA-RESILIENT, NEXT GEN INFRASTRUCTURE
Wifirst deployed a cutting-edge network architecture designed for maximum throughput and "always-on" reliability:
- Massive Bandwidth & Redundancy: The site is powered by dual 5Gb Internet connections (3rd party). To ensure total reliability, Wifirst implemented a fully resilient architecture utilising two Wiboxes and a stacked Cisco core and access layer.
- 10Gb Fibre Backbone: To eliminate internal bottlenecks, a 10Gb fibre backbone connects the infrastructure, providing the headroom needed for data-heavy creative workflows.
- WiFi 7 Deployment: Second Home Mercado features Ruckus R770 Access Points. These are very high-performance Tri-radio WiFi 7 APs, ensuring the space remains at the absolute forefront of wireless technology.
- Advanced Segmentation with gdPSK: Using Group Dynamic Pre-Shared Keys (gdPSK), Wifirst provides seamless and secure tenant segmentation. This allows distinct, encrypted access for:
- Permanent Tenants & Members
- Guests & Event Attendees
- Building Management Systems (BMS) & CCTV
- Secure Shared Printing Services
// RESULTS: DOUBLE BANDWIDTH PERFORMANCE
The transition to Wifirst’s managed solution has transformed the digital experience at Mercado da Ribeira:
- 100% Throughput Increase: Since the deployment, the customer reported that wireless bandwidth has effectively doubled, providing a noticeable boost in speed and responsiveness for all members.
- Operational Peace of Mind: By moving to a fully managed, resilient model, Second Home Mercado has eliminated the connectivity friction often associated with historic building conversions.
- Future-Proofed Hub: With WiFi 7 and a 10Gb backbone, the site is ready to support the next generation of AR/VR and AI-driven creative tools.
Second Home Mercado proves that history, nature, and cutting-edge technology can coexist. By partnering with Wifirst, they have ensured that their digital infrastructure is as inspiring and reliable as their physical environment.
