WeWork opens third Hong Kong location in Taikoo Shing
New York-based WeWork has opened its latest Hong Kong centre in Cityplaza Three, reflecting the third location in the city to become operational in 22 months
WeWork’s third location in Hong Kong taps into themes of community and social interaction through unique design features at a massive 54,000 square foot location in Taikoo Shing, providing work space that can help foster creativity and networking opportunities, according to a company spokesman.
The new centre occupies four floors in Cityplaza Three, an upscale retail and commercial complex owned by Swire Properties.
The monthly rent for a hot desk starts at HK$3,800 (US$484), while the monthly rent of a private office can range between HK$7,600 and HK$142,000, depending on size.
The design of the space stems from the idea of “be like water”, the famous quote by Hong Kong martial arts master Bruce Lee. While customised art pieces and installations don the walls, authentic local photographic elements are ubiquitous, such as neon lights, trams and Cantonese dim sum cuisine.
Taking over four floors of the building and offering more than 1,000 desks, the centre opened in July, featuring WeWork’s first internal staircase and game lounge in Hong Kong.
“The idea behind the internal staircase and the game lounge stems from our idea to encourage further interaction among the community,” says Alan Ai, general manager, WeWork Greater China. “At WeWork, we believe that work is to make a life, not just a living. With that in mind, we strive to create a workplace that provides an experience instead of just an office.”
The connecting staircase stands out in a splash of striking yellow, red and blue that extends across the top two floors of the space. The game lounge, on the other hand, allows members to relax and interact as they enjoy a ping pong game or two against the neon backdrop.
Aside from the innovative communal areas, the co-working space offers a range of amenities such as enclosed phone stations, printers, functional private offices and conference rooms in different sizes.
WeWork has drawn businesses of different sizes from various industries, including Hong Kong-founded event and live experience company Filament, Singapore fintech start-up GoBear, and UK-headquartered motor dealer software company Pinewood Technologies Asia Pacific.
“We have only been here for a month, but we are already enjoying the benefits from participating in various events organised by the community team, including a recent hiring carnival for networking and talent acquisition. Moreover, WeWork’s global network is crucial for us as we are also working with teams from different cities,” says Josephine Lee, director, sales and marketing of Pinewood Technologies.
WeWork ventured into the Greater China market in 2016, opening its first location in Shanghai and Hong Kong in July and September respectively that year.
The New York-headquartered workspace provider currently has 40 locations in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, providing office space for 20,000 members.
With other co-working operators such as Beijing-based Kr Space extending their footprint aggressively in the Greater China market, WeWork faces fierce competition.
WeWork plans to extend its portfolio by venturing to new cities including Chengdu in September and Hangzhou in October. In addition, WeWork is seeking out innovative enterprises in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Bay Area with plans to expand its footprint in Shenzhen in September and LKF Tower in Central, Hong Kong by end of the year.
“Empowered by WeWork’s global community, we are confident of supporting more local creators to scale-up while serving as a springboard for international companies as they look to rapidly develop their businesses in the Bay Area,” Ai said.
