Co-working areas do not always belong in glass office towers or industrial yards of the Gründerzeit. The main thing is that they offer an urban environment. The company ISG, which specialises in fitout, has created a 2,000 square metre area in Hamburg-Altona for the global leading coworking provider Regus. The rooms distributed over three floors, with around 230 workplaces are located directly above a shopping centre in the pedestrian zone of Altona. They thus fulfil the most important user criteria: within walking distance for gastronomy, local supplies and leisure facilities.

The redesign of the existing area was carried out in accordance with the requirements of the Regus style concept. It provides office space for two to a maximum of eight people. Around the actual workplaces, partly directly adjacent to them, areas are grouped for breaks and communal work. They offer comprehensive views of the Altona scenery both in the “Business Café” and at the “Refresh Station”.

In view of its northern location, the interior is dominated by Scandinavian design with strong maritime references. The Elbe can be reached on foot in less than ten minutes, and the Danish border is two hours away. Aquamarine blue and algae green are therefore the main colours of the furniture. Floor depth, wide windows and a rich white of walls, cupboards and tables create a bright atmosphere. The interior design promotes communication between the users, as the possibilities for meetings extend to seating areas, counter areas and meeting tables.

The fitout specialist ISG implemented the project as part of a Europe-wide framework agreement for the Regus parent company, the International Workplace Group (IWG). ISG even carries out all projects in the Design & Build process with its own planning services, space conception and coordination of the service providers involved. This was also necessary for the smooth operation of the shopping centre below, as no construction noise was to occur during opening hours. To comply with the given budget limits, ISG oriented the arrangement of the rooms to the existing positioning of the technical facilities. Existing elements in good condition such as the tiled floor on the ground floor were integrated into the new area.

The market for flexible workspaces in Germany is growing steadily. There are already around 100,000 workplaces available on approximately one million square meters of space. Hamburg occupies third place after the leader Berlin and the runner-up Frankfurt. In addition to Regus Altona, the Elbe metropolis has a further 40 locations for flexible office space.