The Gentleman Magazine Issue 14 | April 2019 | Page 40

FLAGSHIP CITY WORKSPACE NEARING COMPLETION AS
5-METRE FICUS TREE IS CRANED ONTO TOP FLOOR
Construction work at Uncommon’s fourth space and flagship
41,430 sq. ft. flexible office development on Liverpool Street is
nearing completion. Officially opening on the 4th April with
850 desks to members, the new addition joins the existing
three Uncommon spaces in Borough, Highbury & Islington
and Fulham, with more to come in 2019.
Uncommon offers luxury co-working offices in central
locations with an emphasis on design led spaces and a focus
on health & wellbeing. Their aim is to promote a healthier way
of working in an environment that evokes creativity, as well as
productivity. The spaces draw inspiration from Scandinavian
design with a combination of rich textures and tonal colours to
stimulate focus and maintain levels of calmness.
In keeping with this, ahead of the opening, the team will be
craning in one of London’s largest living trees in a workspace.
The craning of the Ficus benjamina tree will be a major
operation, with the 500kg/5 metre tall tree having to be lifted
in via crane, using 15 strap lifts. In addition to this, a vast tree
trunk will also be craned in. The trunk has been halved and
polished to form two long desks.
Living greenery is central to Uncommon’s wellness strategy
and the Liverpool Street space houses over 500 plants, to
help filter the air and provide a more natural feel to the space.
Central to this is the 5-metre Ficus benjamina tree, situated
in the central atrium of the top-floor communal mezzanine
space. Surrounding the tree will be hanging chairs, perfect for
relaxation or break-out meetings. Native to Asia and Australia
the Ficus tree is the official tree of Bangkok and in natural
conditions can reach up to 30 metres. This species will be
carefully cultivated to ensure it remains a healthy size for its
surrounding environment.
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In addition to meticulously designed spaces, the reception
of the Liverpool Street space will feature an interactive light
installation, from designer and director, Marcus Lyall. The
installation will be activated through pulse; individuals can
place their finger on a censor which monitors the heartbeat
and in turn, the installation will pulse with each heartbeat, and
measure the heart rhythm and depending on the rhythm, the
lighting will react in different ways.
Speaking of his collaboration with Uncommon, Marcus said:
‘’ I’m currently exploring how light and sound can help us
understand our body’s internal signals and as Uncommon have
an emphasis on wellness and balance in their spaces, I wanted
to explore this combination in a creative way, to showcase how
our feelings and senses can be displayed.’’
Set within The Crosspoint, the cylindrical building, acquired
from Lord Sugar’s development company, is Uncommon’s
latest flexible workspace, which has been created to appeal to
established businesses, scale ups and individuals looking for
the best office space in the City of London.
The interior fixtures and furnishings have been sourced from
Italian artisan designers, specifically for their ergonomic
qualities. Stand out pieces include two large custom designed
co-working tables from Riva 1920 cut from a single tree trunk,
bespoke meeting room tables and sideboards from Cattelan,
specially designed angular polished Portoro marble bars, brass
and bronze detailing, smoked glass shelving, a feature fire place
made from perforated extruded metalwork and hand-crafted,
walnut-clad relaxation pods.
The space also incorporates the principles of Activity Based
Working (ABW), which research suggests can help increase
, Security in Motion”