Coworking Series: We Visited WeWork At Collyer Quay, The Largest Of Its Kind In APAC To Find Out About Its Enterprise Floors And Free Beer O’Clock

Jul 31, 2023

With the Covid-19 pandemic introducing the hybrid working lifestyle of working from home, it has caused many employees to get used to and eventually prefer working from the comforts of home. Similarly, coworking spaces have sprouted across Singapore, complementing workers who want to work remotely, closer to their homes.

In our previous coworking series, we highlighted 8 Coworking spaces That Are Close To The MRT, which explored spaces close to amenities.For our third coworking series we will be zooming into WeWork’s Collyer Quay and exploring how this WeWork office, which is the largest of its brand in Asia Pacific stands out as a workspace.Read Also: I Worked At 3 Different JustCo Coworking Locations For A Week – Here’s Why The Comfortable Seats And Cafe Designs Help Improve Productivity At Work

Spanning across 21 floors and at more than 220,000 square feet, WeWork’s space at 21 Collyer Quay is the largest in the Asia Pacific Region. This is also WeWork’s 14th location in Singapore making it the largest and newest space which launched last September.WeWork was first established in 2010 in New York City which is its current headquarters. It has now expanded to over 700 locations in 119 cities. This global workplace provider aims to create ideal and inclusive working environments for the everyday worker from freelancers to Fortune 500 companies.Like the other 13 spaces in Singapore, WeWork at 21 Collyer Quay space offers a space right in the heart of the business district for clientele markets all around the world who are looking to make a presence in the booming business scene of Singapore.Entering the building, I wondered if we were walking into an office or a hotel lobby with the high ceiling infrastructure, the posh lighting and the inviting spacious lounge areas.

It was the well disguised hot desk area that made me remember that this was a co-working space.

Taking a seat on the plush cushions in the lobby, I observed the people around the area which were mostly of the international crowd.

Just like the posh interior, the people were dressed to the nines with chic suits and dresses adorned with accessories that completed the whole look of professionalism at its finest. I could tell that this space meant business.

After some insightful people watching, we were greeted by the friendly WeWork manager who brought us up to the eighteenth floor. There were high end technologies such as digital pads to work as the lift navigation system. Besides this there were also gantries located around the space to restrict some private spaces from non-members.

This floor held a well-lit event space thanks to the floor to ceiling windows. The space was well equipped with multiple hot desk areas and comfortable lounge areas where workers can easily mingle while grabbing a drink from the beer and coffee bars. There is a free flow of beer available from four to six pm every day.

After taking in the well-equipped space, we headed down to one of the full-floor enterprise offices. I was taken aback by the vast space that could easily hold about a hundred workers or more. The open-concept office held multiple rows of desks, a pantry, private phone booths and meeting rooms providing corporates with everything they need in one shared space.

What fascinated me was the view which provided a picturesque scene of Marina Bay. The manager shared that sometimes concerts and even Formula One races could be seen through the office. What a way to chase the Monday blues away.

After a short sneak peek into the full floor office, we headed down to the third floor which held the wellness studio, prayer room as well as one of the many mother’s room. The floor was dimly lit providing a relaxing and comforting atmosphere. There were plush and large cushions that lined the area and workers were napping and lounging around comfortably while working.

The wellness studio, is a gym area which allows both members and non-members to utilise the space when needed. There are also private rooms with specific equipment that individuals can use when needed. Besides getting in a good workout, members can also have some peace and quiet in the prayer room. From my initial impression of WeWork being a space that strictly meant business, I now see that the space also prioritises work life balance through its wellness space.

After a long and fulfilling workout, there are shower facilities and technologies such as the Samsung BeSpoke AirDresser that allows workers to remove bacteria, dust, odours through JetSteam and JetAir technologies. This leaves workers feeling refreshed and ready to start or end the day.

A small but significant detail that I noticed was the use of Braille on signages and separate handicap shower rooms as well. This shows the inclusiveness that WeWork upholds to a diverse range of clientele. Another facility that speaks of inclusiveness is the Mother’s room which is also available on the 18th floor of the building. The room provides a private space equipped with fridges and power sockets for new mothers who are breastfeeding, to store their milk and pump without disturbances. Access is only given to female employees and service staff to ensure that there is no misuse of the space.

The theme of inclusivity can also be seen in the architectural aspects of the office. For instance, there are inclusions of local arts and motifs on stairwells.

Now heading back to the first floor, I noticed that there were versatile spaces that WeWork members as well as those looking for a short-term space for the day could use. These were in the forms of hot desks, a living room concept area and private meeting rooms and business centres which lined the area. Business centres are spaces where corporates can hold conventions and events.

In fact, you don’t even need to book your own meeting room as there are many other spaces around the office where you can meet casually with your colleagues. These spaces span across the first three floors while the upper floors are reserved for private offices and event spaces. It can’t be all work and no play, to offer workers with some entertainment after a long day at work, there are multiple billiard tables located around the spaces where workers can spend some time winding down with a good game of pool.

However, what was most surprising was the auditorium which was located towards the back of the main floor. Heading further in, I noticed that it could easily rival a private cinema with a capacity of 40 people or so. I also learnt that this space had a wide range of uses from serious business conferences to career fairs to hosting KTV nights amongst the community.

Besides KTV nights, WeWork is a big advocate for community engagements and networking events where businesses come together from all over to connect and get to know each other. Within a month there easily could be four to six community engagements and networking events held at WeWork’s spaces. This also explains why the designs of the spaces are much more open and spacious. One such event occurred during this year’s Earth Week in late April where WeWork at 21 Collyer Quay teamed up with local plant-based oat milk brand, OATSIDE. Workers got the privilege to enjoy free oat milk upgrades for every cup of coffee they make. Not only that, discounts for employees and members were also given as part of a partnership. A dream for the coffee and oat milk lovers indeed (including me).

WeWork has two member subscription passes for its coworking space: WeWork All Access and a On-Demand Pay-As-You-Go subscription pass. A WeWork All Access pass is a monthly subscription pass which allows WeWork members to access WeWork spaces globally. This flexible subscription pass works well forindividualsand large businesses. This includes booking meeting rooms, private offices and utilising the shared spaces in one WeWork location per day. The Basic WeWork All Access subscription tier allows access to more than 180 WeWork locations while the Plus subscription tier allows access to more than 500 WeWork locations globally. With multi-market businesses looking to expand their market, this is especially useful. Depending on your business needs, the All Access rates can be discussed accordingly.On the other hand, the On-Demand Pay-As-You-Go subscription pass is best suited for individual workers as it allows access to coworking spaces at daily and hourly rates. This pass allows access hot desks, meeting rooms, private offices and amenities such as phone booths at more than 360 WeWork locations around the world. The rates for hot desk spaces starts at a S$39 per day while meeting room rates start at S$12 per seat and per hour.

Alternatively, there are separate annual and monthly membership subscriptions for private workspaces ranging from a dedicated desk to a private office and full floor offices. Prices are quoted based on your business needs. You can sign up to be a WeWork member through the WeWork app.

Read Also: I Spent A Day Working In A Movie Themed Coworking Space, Here Is Why I Think It Would Be A Great Place For Students To Study.

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