The room was packed to capacity. More than a hundred women chatted among themselves, constantly introducing themselves to new faces. One could feel the desire to do something that until now had only been reserved for them. There was even a hint of euphoria at having achieved it. These were the sensations one had walking through the opening party of Juno House, a women's club for their personal and professional well-being. "An urban refuge for work-life balance and equilibrium, and above all a springboard for the professional careers of its members, fostering creativity, productivity, and international synergies," in the words of one of its founders, Natalie Batlle, with Liana Grieg and Eva Vila-Massanas complementing the founding team. The first stone has been laid; now it only remains to manage this collective joy and see how this new model works in Barcelona, very typical in the United States.
For those who have not yet signed up, they should know that, to be part of this new community, one must pass an initial selection by the driving team and pay a fee. Newly launched, it already has about 400 members and a long waiting list that reaches 1,000 candidates. The team is reading all applications to make a selection and continue growing, with the aim of ensuring a good mix of different professional profiles, who will come from multiple backgrounds and cover a good range of ages. For now, the youngest members are the most missed.
The new club is located in La Farinera de Aribau, an architectural gem hidden in the interior of the block between Aribau, Travessera de Gràcia, Tuset, and Moià, past Diagonal. It is only discreetly hinted at from Moià street, just behind the French Institute. It is an old 19th-century factory, with an area of more than 1,400 square meters distributed in a five-story tower and an industrial nave, which became a mechanical workshop. It was restored a few years ago by the Barcelona architecture studio Bogom, and Juno House will be its first use since the renovation. Architect Merche Conca from BCA studio and interior designer Meritxell Ribé from The Room Studio have been in charge of getting it ready for its debut.
To kick off the project, Juno House closed a two-million-euro round, which has been dedicated to construction work and furniture purchases, as well as staff hiring. The Elías family's family office ---reference shareholders of the Veritas chain and former partners of Caprabo--- has led the round, which has been completed with contributions from the three founders. Looking ahead to the coming years, expansion to other cities is contemplated, both in the rest of Spain and in Europe.