Great indoors: we visit Singapore’s newest flexible workspace
Jaelle Ang says the idea for The Great Room came about because between a third to half of all workers today are flexible and mobile. 'Increasingly, workers and companies are realising they need to use a wide range and typology of work spaces to accommodate this increasingly diverse workforce and the different expectations of what work is, and where and when that work should happen. The best performers are measured by the value they bring into the business, and this value is no longer created by sitting for 40 hours in a traditional fixed office in front of the desktop.'
Together with two other partners, Ang’s recent launch of The Great Room, Singapore’s newest generation of flexible hot-desks, offices and meeting rooms, is a response to this new work paradigm.
Eschewing the traditional model of regimental cubicles and generic corporate furnishings, designers Matt Shang and Paul Semple of Hassell Studio interpreted the brief as a sequence of rooms that would not look out of place in the loft apartment of a techie, well-heeled Young Turk. ‘We [Hassell] traditionally work in the world of hospitality, so engaging with the mechanics of the workplace challenged how we effectively used the floor plate,’ says Semple.
This translates into a studio that multi-tasks as a meeting room for 12, workshop space for 20, and presentation room for 30, and which, on Tuesday evenings, becomes a yoga studio; dedicated offices kitted-out in Okume timber desks, leather chairs and storage shelves finished in brass; a boardroom with reception area; unobtrusive rows of lockers; bathrooms with shower facilities; private phone booths; and kitchen.
Anchoring the facilities is a generously proportioned lounge room that serves as reception, breakfast room stocked with Papa Palheta coffee, informal networking zone, and a convenient spot for Monday afternoon shoulder massages.
Where The Great Room departs from the flatness of the ubiquitous serviced office comes courtesy of the designers’ bent for warm, handsome furnishings that have a very human quality. Full advantage is taken of the floor-to-ceiling windows that wrap around the space and bring in both light and views of Singapore’s CBD skyscrapers. Against this, the designers have layered handsome coffee table books on art and architecture, customised wall art, leather sofas, bell-jars of objets trouvés, plush velvets and fabric, stained timber floors and Tappeti rugs.
For the three owners behind The Great Room – a former Silicon Valley consultant, a green energy consultant, and Ang, a trained architect, banker and hotel developer – traditional offices have seen their day. ‘They no longer fulfill today's evolving needs and co-working spaces,’ she says. ‘We decided to focus our workspace offering on the very ancient and primal act – which is about taking care of people and about communal consumption. Or as Semple puts it, ‘This is fundamentally a work environment with a hospitality overlay.’ We can get on board with that.
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Great Room website
ADDRESS
The Great Room
1 George Street
#10-01
Singapore
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Daven Wu is the Singapore Editor at Wallpaper*. A former corporate lawyer, he has been covering Singapore and the neighbouring South-East Asian region since 1999, writing extensively about architecture, design, and travel for both the magazine and website. He is also the City Editor for the Phaidon Wallpaper* City Guide to Singapore.
-
Two new books examine the art of the logo, from corporate coherence to rock excess
Pentagram’s new book reveals 1,000 brand marks, while the art of the band logo is laid bare in Logo Rhythm
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Art, culture, watches & jewellery editor Hannah Silver’s gift guide
From a Beryl Cook cushion to an offbeat diamond ring, there's something for everyone on this Wallpaper* editor's gift guide, embracing art, culture and style
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Feldspar makes its mark on Mayfair with a festive pop-up at Corinthia Hotel
Devon-based bone china brand Feldspar makes its first foray into shopkeeping with a pop-up at London’s Corinthia Hotel. Ali Morris speaks with the founders and peeks inside
By Ali Morris Published
-
Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2024: meet the practices
In the Wallpaper* Architects Directory 2024, our latest guide to exciting, emerging practices from around the world, 20 young studios show off their projects and passion
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Changi Airport’s Terminal 2 is a relaxing traveller experience that stimulates the senses
Changi Airport’s Terminal 2, designed by Boiffils Architecture, is an organic space inspired by Singapore's vegetation, forming a gateway into its garden city
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Ian Chee’s Singapore apartment blends past and present
Architect Ian Chee welcomes us into his Singapore apartment, where past and present cohabit in perfect equilibrium
By Daven Wu Published
-
Multigenerational homes for family get-togethers
Multigenerational homes make the perfect setting for extended families to come together – in daily life and for special occasions, such as the recent Lunar New Year
By Shiori Kanazawa Published
-
Brewin Design Office brings New York nostalgia to Singapore apartment
Brewin Design Office brings a touch of New York nostalgia to Singapore’s Nassim neighbourhood for a minimalist apartment interior design renovation
By Daven Wu Last updated
-
Singapore Archifest pavilion ‘reclaims connectivity’ in an age of distance
2020 Archifest in Singapore prepares for a September launch and the virtual opening of its main pavilion space, entitled Reclaiming Connectivity and jointly created by ADDP Architects and OWIU Design
By Ellie Stathaki Last updated
-
Singapore celebrates bicentennial with series of architectural pavilions
By Daven Wu Last updated
-
Singapore’s first residential project by Heatherwick Studio unveiled
By Daven Wu Last updated