If the long-running tug of war between the office and working from home is ever to produce a clear winner, it may well be the co-working space. Such spaces combine the sociability of the workplace with the flexibility and focus of working independently.
Conductor, a new 3,400 sq m co-working space in Stratford, east London, takes that promise and pushes it further. The role of environment in shaping productivity and wellbeing is well documented, and Conductor’s design-led environment surpasses makeshift desks and sterile offices alike.
The project sits within Stratford’s Coppermaker Square, and was designed collaboratively by interior design studio Tabitha Isobel and architecture practice Studio Multi. Conductor reimagines the office through the lens of hospitality, feeling less like a traditional workplace and more like a welcoming café or a chic members’ club, where carefully orchestrated spatial experiences replace corporate uniformity.
At the heart of the project lies a double-height atrium flooded with natural light. Inspired by historic palm courts, the space is filled with planting, daylight and tactile materials. It acts as the conceptual anchor for the entire scheme – a calming, nature-infused sanctuary within the dense urban fabric of east London.
This biophilic approach is paired with a palette that nods to the area’s industrial past. The surrounding Coppermaker Works once played a role in the city’s copper production, and the interiors reference this heritage through rust, amber and ochre tones.
The reception area introduces this language through terracotta and warm white ceramic tiles arranged in alternating brick and block formations. The reception desk is clad in volcanic ash glazed tiles in varying shades of ochre, while furniture selections reinforce the hospitality-led ethos: soft sofas and lounge chairs, textured rugs and burl-wood tables.
Opposite, in the café, a tiled counter echoes the volcanic-ash finish of the reception desk, while a suspended timber canopy lowers the perceived ceiling height and incorporates integrated lighting. The intervention softens the scale of the open-plan space, creating a more intimate environment. Seating is deliberately varied – stacking chairs, stools and timber café chairs paired with walnut tables – allowing the space to accommodate various types of work.
In the aforementioned atrium, large planters clad in green-toned volcanic ash tiles rise upwards. Integrated bench seating upholstered in soft green bouclé sits within the planting, accompanied by walnut tables and chairs. Nearby breakout areas layer vintage timber and leather armchairs with contemporary sofas and sculptural tables.
Rugs in sage green and deep wine red help define these zones, while flashes of orange upholstery inject a vibrant contrast into the otherwise nature-inspired palette. Lighting plays a central role: sheer cylindrical pendants float through the atrium, while retractable sail-like blinds diffuse the sunlight streaming through the glazing.
Elsewhere, Conductor features glazed meeting rooms framed in green-painted timber; a sunken conversation pit where the floor dips beneath an acoustic canopy; and a library defined by permeable terracotta brick partitions.
At a time when the role of the office is being renegotiated, the project proposes that thoughtful design may be key to drawing people back, reframing the workplace as a destination rather than an obligation.
