their employees and customers,’ she says.
‘The concept of “sharing” has become very
popular, too; we also see it in shared bicycles
and shared battery chargers.’
Whereas Chinese workers were once
motivated by money, now they are likely to
be looking for fun and ‘family’ – elements
that co-working spaces like Unova promise
to provide. ‘The younger generations tend
to have their own ideas and to prefer new
things, so interesting working environments
can really attract their attention,’ says Li
Xiang. Many of them are highly present on
the internet, too, and need ‘good-looking
designs’ to be Instagram-ready – especially
in their own offices.
China is already home to the highest
concentration (and total valuation) of start-
ups globally. According to a report by China
Money Network, more venture capital was
invested in Chinese businesses in 2018 than
in American ones.
The Global Coworking Unconfer-
ence Conference reckons that there are now
14,411 co-working spaces worldwide, with
the market expected to triple to 30,432 loca-
tions by 2022. Competition is intensifying –
especially in China, where the international
brands who pioneered the trend are being
replaced by homegrown rivals. Global leader
WeWork was recently acquired by Shanghai-
based Naked Hub, for example. Chinese
players see expansion as a chance to play
a leading role in the forthcoming consolida-
tion of the global market.
So it’s not surprising that brand-
ing was an important aspect of the Unova
project. ‘In terms of the colour scheme, wehoped to distinguish Unova from the wood
look of several mature co-working brands,’
explains Li Xiang. ‘We wanted the colours
here to be lively and artistic. As for materials,
we chose the most simple: tile and concrete.’
Adding to Unova’s strong identity is the use
of customized furniture, which underpins the
concept of fitness equipment. ‘We wanted to
create interesting furniture that can actually
be used for the function of fitness or mas-
sage, as well as to meet our expectations for
the project,’ says Li Xiang. – JS
xl-muse.comAppealing to younger generations,
Instagram-ready design elements at
Unova include bold graphic patterns
and a plunge pool-cum-meeting space.
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