We Company Flatiron Fails to Excite
Newly rebranded ‘We Company’ have opened an updated version of their famed co-working spaces in New York’s Flatiron district. However, gone are the long-term leasing agreements — here punters can work on site for a day, an hour, or even by the minute, at a cost of 20c for each!
The space itself is bright, airy, and comfortable looking, with various stations to crank through outstanding jobs. There are longer tables for group sessions; ‘lounge-style’ areas for conversation; and even meeting rooms for private conflabs. To access each, individuals register via iPad and scan a bar code to check-in; they then scan again upon leaving to check-out, at which point their time on-site is totted-up and a fee applied.
At the entrance there is the seemingly obligatory coffee shop, which is surrounded by goods for sale from We Company members. Both elements could be impressive if they were not so achingly obvious, rendering them slightly bland.
Overall the location feels less like a brand extension and more like an uninspiring overreach. Moreover, at its heart lies a simple conflict — why would someone pay to work here when they can do the same for free at a coffee shop? Indeed, this piece was not written on site…
Pretty it may be, but this feels like a triumph of style over substance.
