Biggest co-working space in S'pore's CBD

The Working Capitol launched its second co-working location on March 13. Occupying 55,000 sq ft of space across 11 floors of the 19-storey tower at 140 Robinson Road, it is the biggest co-working space in the CBD so far.

According to Ben Gattie, co-founder and CEO of The Working Capitol, more than half the space has been taken up. “The number is changing by the day, especially now that people can see and appreciate the actual space,” he adds. Gattie is also seeing a lot of interest from corporations. “There’s a misconception that co-working is mainly for start-ups and SMEs [small and medium-sized enterprises].”

The Working Capitol’s flagship location at 1 Keong Saik Road occupies 33,000 sq ft in a row of conservation shophouses. Since it opened in March 2015, the space has been fully taken up. The 350 members at Keong Saik Road come from a diverse range of companies.

Meanwhile, The Working Capitol on Robinson has a capacity of 700 members. Gattie hopes to attract an equally diverse mix of companies at the co-working space in the CBD. So far, companies that have come on board The Working Capitol on Robinson include a fintech lab by RHB Bank, real estate management services firm Brookfield Global Integrated Solutions and health and wellness start-up GuavaPass.

Unlike The Working Capitol on Keong Saik, which is a sprawling space, the one on Robinson Road is a vertical space. The first two levels are the reception area, which has a double-volume ceiling. The Plain Vanilla Bakery is taking up the retail space on the first level, and another F&B operator will occupy a duplex unit. On the third level is boutique fitness provider Ritual, and on the fourth level is a members’ lounge, which is also open to the public.

On the 18th floor is the sky garden, which is open to all members, as well as six exclusive penthouse suites. The suites are leased to individual companies that want their own private workspace, dedicated meeting rooms and lounge area as well as washrooms. Each suite can accommodate about 15 people, with the flexibility to increase the number of work desks if required. One of the suites has been taken up by Brookfield.

There is a mix of floors for collaborative work and for the community to meet and mingle; other floors have quiet spaces for those who want to focus on their work and not be distracted. For instance, the 13th floor — considered the members’ reception area — and the 15th floor is for collaborative work. There are also 12 phone booths on the various floors for those who need to make video or phone calls. On the 14th floor, called the “Pin Drop”, there are more quiet workspaces for those who need to concentrate, says Saranta Gattie, co-founder of The Working Capitol and Ben’s sister.

The Working Capitol on Robinson also has many common amenities, which are open to members, including those at Keong Saik Road. This includes nine meeting rooms, a 20m lap pool on Level 6 and the sky garden. They can also use the members’ lounge and communal spaces on the various floors. “We want people to have access to a network of sites,” says Gattie. “If you have a fixed office, you are always going to be tied to a site. But as a member of The Working Capitol, you can choose to use the common amenities at the different sites without having to pay additional charges.”

The dedicated work desks, workspaces and suites at The Working Capitol on Robinson are “at a slight premium” to those at Keong Saik Road. This is owing to its CBD location, points out Gattie.

This article first appeared in The Edge Property Singapore, a pullout of The Edge Singapore, on March 20, 2017.

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