Capital coworking
At ICON Printing we’ve spent over a decade supporting the creative industries in London. We’ve also seen first hand the explosion of new startups and tech companies making a mark on the capital.
London’s coworking spaces have played a crucial role in this, providing workspace to the capital’s growing population of freelancers, entrepreneurs and creatives, as well as creating the perfect environment for networking – and the kind of cross-pollination of ideas that makes the start up scene so exciting.
You’ve probably heard of some of the biggest – like WeWork, Huckeletree, Second Home and Impact Hub, which all have multiple spaces across the capital (and worldwide). Check them out.
Meanwhile, we wanted to provide a resource pointing you to some of London’s more localised coworking spaces – located in North, South, East, West and Central London – that we think offer something really special to the city’s coworking scene.
Coworking space London
East London
North London
South London
West London
Central London
East
De Beauvoir Block
A co-working space in the tranquil De Beauvoir neighbourhood – just between Dalston and Islington, this is a chic hub with 33 workspaces, an outdoor courtyard and an all day cafe. Membership starts at £100 per month. debeauvoirblock.com
90 Mainyard
With locations in Tower Hamlets, Walthamstow and Wimbledon, it’s the Hackney Wick workspace that this the flagship hub for this creative workspace. Occupying a former dye-cutting factory it boasts three floors of office and coworking space as well as 10 music studios and production rooms, as well as being home to the Number 90 bar & kitchen – so you don’t need to travel far to cut loose after a day’s work. A dedicated desk starts at £350 per month. mainyardstudios.co.uk
Blooming Founders
A place for female entrepreneurs, this coworking space in Shoreditch – formerly known as Blooms – offers a network of support and seeks to break down the barriers women in business might face. As well as meeting rooms and workspace it offers mentorship, child care services and 24-hour member access. Pricing starts from £30 for one day a month, £250 for unlimited access and £350 per month for a fixed desk. bloomingfounders.com
Runway East
Located in Moorgate – close to Old Street and the City – Runway East pitches itself as a friendly space for start ups.As well as providing opportunities to connect with investors it keeps office life light, with cake on Wednesdays and rooms to cut loose with pool or table tennis. Hot desks with 24/7 access start at £199 per person. It also has locations in Soho, London Bridge and Bristol. runwayea.st
The Trampery
The Trampery has four locations across East London, at Fish Island Village, East India Dock, Stratford and Old Street, which is its flagship space (it also has one more in Tottenham). Each offers a range of office and shared workspace for creative businesses, with facilities ranging from member’s lounges to libraries as well as a programme of events from comedy nights to yoga. Desk space starts at £150 per month. thetrampery.com
North
LABS
Offering its community investment opportunities, as well as a range of products and services to help your business grow, LABS is another great coworking space with a number of locations in Camden, Chalk Farm and central London. Coworking space starts at £199 per month and £500 pre month for a dedicated desk. labs.com
Collective Camden
Launched in Kings Cross with a view to providing space for young and dynamic individuals to grow their businesses and ideas, Collective has since opened a second space in an abandoned warehouse the heart of Camden Town. Both have a buzzy work environment with meeting rooms, event space, kitchens and an outdoor space. Hotdesking is free – you just have to apply for a space. camdencollective.co.uk
Launch 22
A charity incubator and coworking space, Launch 22 aims to support entrepreneurs “from all walks of life” – with accessible pricing and a three month incubator program focused on helping those that face the most challenges to entrepreneurship. It has a hub in Kings Cross and has just opened a second space in Poplar. Desk space starts at £120 for five days a month and £300 for a fixed desk and both packages come with mentoring. launch22.co.uk
Ark Coworking
Located in a Victorian apartment building, Ark Coworking is a coworking space and social enterprise in Kings Cross with “community and collaboration at its core”. Prices start at £20 for pay-as-you-go hotdesking, while fixed desks are £300. arkcoworking.com
Beehive Coworking
A boutique coworking space in leafy Stoke Newington, Beehive is located inside a renovated Victorian warehouse. We spoke to its founder recently, who shared his tips for our expert guide on how to start your own coworking space. But until then, we recommend checking it out – desk space starts at £20 a day with £230 a month for a fixed desk. beehivecoworking.com
South
The Ministry
The perfect choice for rolling straight from the club to the office. Connected to the legendary Ministry of Sound nightclub, this co-working space is part of a private members club of the same name. The vibe is appropriately sleek, the interiors in social areas featuring exposed metalwork, wooden floorboards and retro furniture. Their facilities include private phone booths, breakout spaces, bookable meeting rooms and 24-hour access, 7 days a week. They don’t advertise prices but invite enquiries for new applicants. theministry.com
Many Hands
Not far from Bermondsey’s famed Beer Mile, Many Hands is aimed at those in the arts and creative industries. Home to over 100 residents, which includes individual makers, creative companies and charities, it will likely feel like a welcoming community to anyone of a similar ilk. An ex-warehouse space, it boasts big high ceilings and lots of light. Of the studios they have available currently, prices start from £350 month. manyhandslondon.co.uk
Hotel Elephant
Aimed at artists, creatives, recent graduates and entrepreneurs, Hotel Elephant boasts a central location and affordable prices. They have co-working space and artist studios, plus they offer free professional development for graduates. A not-for-profit set up by local artist Reuben Powell in 2009, it was opened was to provide space for arts, culture and enterprise, and is supported by Southwark Council and the Mayor of London. Monthly prices for the co-working space start from £150 a month. hotelelephant.co.uk
Piano House
One for ambitious, fast-growing businesses, Piano House is in the impressive surrounds of a converted Victorian warehouse in Brixton. Offering bright, welcoming workspaces, they offer shower facilities, 24 hour access, a managed post room and break out areas. Plus, a roof terrace promises the opportunity for scenic lunch breaks. They currently have one unit available, which fits around 50 staff, with rent of £17,850 a month. pianohousebrixton.co.uk
The Ramp
If you like having food and culture on your doorstep, and are a freelancer looking for somewhere to base yourself, then The Ramp could be the place for you. Based inside converted multi-storey car park Peckham Levels, which has two floors of bars, restaurants and venues, is a venue for everything from yoga to live music, as well as hosting a number of creative businesses, The Ramp is a co-working space for small teams, independent creatives and freelancers. They offer a kitchenette, bookable meeting rooms and workshop and learning opportunities. The monthly rate for hot desks is £159 + VAT. peckhamlevels.org/co-working
West
The Refinery
For a relaxed but focused atmosphere. The Refinery, minutes from the King’s Road in Chelsea, put an emphasis on creating a friendly working space for freelancers and startups, offering decent-sized desks and plenty of natural light. Making their pricing as transparent as possible, they include unlimited coffee, meeting room hire, printing and free hot desking vouchers in the monthly price. It starts from £240 a month for a hot desk membership. therefinerylondon.com
The Workary
Want to be based in prime West London locations but don’t like the idea big overheads? If so, The Workary could be the place for you. An initiative started between the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea council and startup Wimbletech, the aim is to offer under-utilised library spaces to startups and freelancers at affordable rates. They have sites in the likes of Chelsea, Kensington and Hammersmith. The offering may be more bare bones than other coworking spaces, but they still offer unlimited free tea and coffee. Prices start from £125 + VAT per month for a fixed desk. wimbletech.com
Cowork Hub
Cowork Hub are all about collaboration. They tout their members as one of their assets, and say that they try to foster links between the companies who are based with them as much as possible. They’re based in Notting Hill, having recently moved more centrally from North Acton. Amongst their services are gym and shower facilities, plus 20 hours of free meeting rooms usage per month, with hot deskers entitled to 25% off. The price for hot desking is £20 +VAT per month, and a fixed desk costs £399 + VAT per month. coworkhub.co
Pavilion
If you like your office space with a touch of class. Boasting sleek furniture, office pods – if you opt for a dedicated desk – and sound-resistant telephone booths, Pavilion emphasise their attention to detail. A mere 100 metres away from High Street Kensington tube station, it’s well-located for visiting the city’s plusher bars and restaurants when you clock off from work. Hot desking starts £275 per month + VAT, and a dedicated desk is £1000 per month + VAT. pavilionoffices.com
Club Workspace
A workspace group with hubs dotted across the city, Club Workspace have some excellent offerings in West London’s leafier corners of Chiswick and Wandsworth. Their sites are bright, modern and emphasise sociability between the businesses based there. Plus, if you move around the city a lot, their flexible package can offer you the option to be based at any of their 19 locations. Prices start from £170 per month for their “Club Workspace” package, where you can be based between different branches in the communal areas, and from £330 per month to have flexible access to workspace proper across different locations. workspace.co.uk
Central
Central Working
With sites in Victoria, Bloomsbury, the City and Paddington, Central Working do what their name says on the tin – they have an abundance of options for those looking to base their business in a central London location. Ideal for ambitious businesses, Central Working emphasise the connection they form with your business, and the role they can play in introducing you to other members to develop new business opportunities. It’s also possible to be based between different sites, allowing for flexibility. They don’t advertise rates, as they say prices are bespoke to individual businesses. centralworking.com
Makersversity
Based in the iconic Somerset House, right next to Waterloo Bridge, Makersversity is a space for anyone who makes things – so that could be designers, engineers, entrepreneurs, technologists, inventors, craftsmen, technicians or artists. In the basement of the 300-year-old building, they put an emphasis on forging connections between those using the facilities, and encourage tenants to get involved in workshops to help the next generation of makers. They offer three months free for under 25s, and six months free to “makers with a mission”, who can apply if they have a project that is value-driven and ambitious. Otherwise, fees are from £240 per month for roaming membership and from £390 per month for a full membership. makerversity.org
Fora London
If you want top quality customer service, Fora could be the place for you. With sites dotted all across central London, Fora’s professional and carefully-designed office spaces would be a good fit for any business that wants to project a serious image. They emphasise the level of service they offer to residents, with their staff trained in partnership with elite hospitality management school L’École Hôtelière de Lausanne. Monthly prices start with £300 for hot desking, £400 for a fixed desk and desks in your own private office from £475 a month. foraspace.com
The Allbright
For female entrepreneur or business owners. A female members club, The Allbright could be the place to base your business or a space to have meetings and make new connections outside office hours. With two branches, one in Fitzrovia and a newly-opened Mayfair edition, they’re in the plusher corners of the city centre. They have meeting rooms, as well as bars, restaurants and gym facilities. The idea is to encourage connections between members. Membership starts from £1,3000 a year. allbrightcollective.com
Campus London
One for any tech startups with big ideas. Run by Google, and based in Shoreditch, it’s part-cafe, part workspace, and they also offer opportunities to network with other businesses. Plus, there are regular mentoring sessions and talks on how to make your big idea happen and grow your business. Be warned, however, that it can get popular, so it’s worth arriving early in the day to find a space. campus.co/london
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