Working Alone, Together
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With 19 locations across the country and five more on the way by the end of the year (including three international branches), WeWork has grown to 13,000 members since its launch in 2010. The unique spaces—including the newest in Manhattan’s NoMad neighborhood (shown)—are envisioned by cofounder Miguel McKelvey, who happens to be an architect as well as an entrepreneur, and include amenities such as bocce courts, free beer, and meditation rooms.
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The Office Group in London offers a network of spaces, called ClubRooms, for drop-in workers who don’t want to rent a dedicated space. For the West End location, architect firm Wells Mackereth joined a Georgian structure with an adjacent 1970s office building. A portrait of U.S. president Martin Van Buren, the period home’s former resident, hangs in the reception area.
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Part work space, part Seussian wonderland, the Talent Garden in Brescia is one of eight branches in Italy. The eco-friendly design includes cardboard-and-wood desks, and chaise longues and armchairs made with recycled paper. Pendant lights resembling Campbell’s soup cans and clusters of Campari soda bottles add extra touches of whimsy.
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Attached to the Citizen M hotel in Glasgow, Scotland, SocietyM offers comfortable and eclectic meeting rooms and work spaces. The interiors are the work of Amsterdam architecture firm Concrete and include high-design pieces from such brands as Tom Dixon, Moooi, and Vitra.
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Urban Station offers bright and cheery locations in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Turkey. The San Telmo branch in Buenos Aires is decorated in the company’s signature sunny yellow and boasts a roof terrace.
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The airy interiors of the __Makers Space,__an 11,000-square-foot coworking office in a historic 1908 building in downtown Seattle, were conceived by cofounder and interior designer Lana Morisoli with sustainability in mind. The decor includes desks made of recycled gym floors, salvaged windowpanes, and office doors made of refurbished bleacher boards.
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Dutch coworking network Spaces expanded outside of Amsterdam with a beautiful complex in The Hague, located in the historic Rode Olifant (or Red Elephant) building, originally the offices of Esso. London-based designer Sevil Peach created the interiors, incorporating contemporary furniture by Vitra, Knoll, and Cassina and lighting by Vibia.
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James Waterworth of Alexander Waterworth Interiors developed the bright and airy design for the Hive, Bangkok, a four-floor coworking space in the posh Sukhumvit area. A double-height lounge features colorful upholstered seating, while the wood-infused work spaces have the feel of a light-filled loft.
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__Café Craft __was created as a destination for mobile workers. The graphic black-and-white scheme was conceived by Léa Padovani and Sébastien Kieffer of the design firm Pool, who both trained under celebrated French designer Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance.
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__CoCo Minneapolis__transformed the trading floor of the historic Minneapolis Grain Exchange building into a vibrant coworking office. While the architecture is traditional, the atmosphere is anything but, with tents, beach umbrellas, and colorful furniture giving it a fun vibe.