US: Ingka Centres, a sister company to IKEA, and Industrious have partnered to launch the Hej!Workshop flexible coworking concept at a mixed-use building in San Francisco.
Ingka Centres’ San Francisco property is located at 945 Market St. The coworking space will occupy the 46,470-square-foot top floor within the 250,000-square-foot 945 Market St, which also includes an IKEA store and other amenities. Ingka Centres will run the mall, and Industrious, a New York coworking operator will run the Hej! Workshop. Hej! (pronounced “hey” means “hello” in Swedish) is Ingka Centres’ first US coworking space and only its second worldwide, after one it opened in Stockholm last year.
“The way we work is changing and our expectations of the workplace need to change with it,” said Jamie Hodari, CEO and co-founder at Industrious. “What sets Hej!Workshop apart is its remarkable optimism and the effort put into reimagining the office as a destination, where professionals can be inspired, productive and connect with their colleagues, without leaving behind the comforts of home.”
Miia Kautovaara, the manager for the San Francisco Meeting Place, said: “We’re putting a lot of thought and effort into creating a better workplace where people feel more energized.”
Jamie Hodari, CEO and co-founder of Industrious, said: “They want to create a very happy place where people want to come in, and feel welcome and energized to be there,” said “That’s not rocket science, but it’s a different way of talking about primary workplace settings. You go to an IKEA furniture store and there’s a play on words in the furniture descriptions; we want that sense of joy and irreverence to come through here.”
