Zoku | Wallpaper*

An image of a guest accomodation in the hotel, showing the kitchen and dining area — (Image credit: Zoku, Concrete and Ewout Huibers)

The newly opened Zoku is yet more evidence that the line between a hotel and one’s home is being steadily erased – to the point, in fact, where the phrase ‘home away from home’ is fast becoming a reality rather than a hackneyed marketing phrase.

Located in Amsterdam’s Canal District, the 133-loft Zoku takes its cues from both its moniker – apparently, a Japanese word for family, tribe or clan – and its neighbour WeWork, a co-working space.

Aimed firmly at the digital nomad – that growing breed of WiFi-linked road-warrior who counts a Generator hostel, an Ace or an Alex hotel as their pit-stop of choice – Zoku has worked with Danish design brand Muuto and design firm Concrete to create flexible public spaces that genuinely double as work, meeting and networking zones.

The rooftop, a collaboration of the City of Amsterdam, is a green patch of hexagonal plant beds, vegetables, herbs and flowers, while the lofts include a fully-stocked kitchen, enough storage space to bunker down for extended period (discounts are available for long-stay guests), office supplies, and a staircase, ordinarily leading up to the sleeping quarter, that can be retracted to create more work space.

So confident are the people behind Zoku that there are plans to roll-out more properties in London, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Berlin, Vienna and Paris.

An image of the kitchen section in the guest accomodation

An image of a communal area of the Zoku hotel

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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.