Luxury co-working space in a grungy Hong Kong industrial building - couple reveal why they chose to call it Banyan
- The eco-aware working space in an old Quarry Bay toy manufacturer’s warehouse has a distinctly Hong Kong feel, with lockers made to look like resemble vintage Chinese medicine cabinets
- Sustainability and socially responsible policies have drawn a younger crowd
Hong Kong’s grungy industrial buildings have an undeniable charm, but would you want to work in one? If you’re not convinced, try heading for Quarry Bay, where a former toy manufacturer’s warehouse has been transformed into a calming office oasis by the team behind the newly opened Banyan Workspace.
With international shared-workspace provider WeWork hanging by a thread, entrepreneurial couple Amy and Rasheed Shroff knew they had to offer something more than a series of generic, impersonal white cubicles and a coffee machine, so they designed a luxury space with sustainability and comfort in mind.
“We wanted to create an environment where people really wanted to come to work every day,” says managing director Rasheed.
The space has a distinctly Hong Kong feel, with lockers made to resemble vintage Chinese medicine cabinets, woven-raffia panels and plenty of greenery.
“We came by the name because on the old Silk Road, traders used to take shelter and do business under banyan trees,” says Rasheed.
