- The new space signifies WeWork’s accelerating growth in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area, testament to the region’s pioneer location in Shenzhen that will officially open on October 19, 2018 along with new locations opening soon in Guangzhou
- Two Harbour Square location marks the first WeWork space in Kowloon, an expansion aimed at connecting more creators, amplifying synergies in the Greater Bay Area and catering to businesses’ evolving needs in the region
- Hong Kong’s leading jewellery group, Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Limited, an example of WeWork’s enterprise member is leveraging the community’s global resources and network to drive digital transformation and win the talent war
Hong Kong, October 12, 2018 – WeWork today announces the launch of a new location in Two Harbour Square in the rapidly emerging Kwun Tong area of Kowloon East today. As WeWork’s first location in Kowloon and easily accessible from the city’s traditional business districts, this will be a key milestone in further expanding the WeWork community to connect more Hong Kong creators to the Greater Bay Area and beyond to WeWork’s global network. Accelerating the future of work and integrating the best of WeWork’s design, technology and community, WeWork is committed to uplifting businesses of all sizes in the region to the global stage.
WeWork Launches First-Ever Location at Two Harbour Square in Kowloon: The Expanded WeWork Community will Connect More Creators in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area.
With the Kowloon location a confident step forward as WeWork fuels growth in the Greater Bay Area, and marked by its first location in Shenzhen, WeWork Greater China Construction Steel Structure Building (CCSS), that will officially open on October 19, 2018. In view of the exciting prospects ahead in the region, additional new locations will be opening in Guangzhou soon, while the LKF Tower location in Central, Hong Kong is slated to open by the end of 2018. Leveraging on WeWork’s unique global resources, the company can support creators in the Greater Bay Area and Greater China to scale, and serve as a springboard for international companies to expand in the region.
Building upon its success in the Greater China market since it opened its first location in Shanghai in 2016, WeWork is pressing forward with its positive trajectory of growth and development. WeWork currently has more than 50 locations in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Hangzhou and Hong Kong, providing more than 20,000 members with space, community and service through physical and digital offerings. By the end of 2018, WeWork will expand to Wuhan and will continue its growth to cities such as Guangzhou and more in 2019.
Capitalizing Hong Kong’s position in the greater bay area for facilitating cross-boundary innovation and talent attraction
Mr Alan Ai, General Manager, WeWork Greater China, speaking on how the opening of the new WeWork Two Harbour Square collaborative space will strengthen the connections among creators in Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area, and across the globe.
“The recent opening of Hong Kong Section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (XRL) and the upcoming operation of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge will tie Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Shenzhen together and enhance the free flow of goods, capital, information and talent. Going a step further, the WeWork community in the Southern China region will be strengthened with stronger cross-boundary member connections, business collaboration, knowledge and cultural exchanges among the creators in Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou, as well as globally,” says Alan Ai, General Manager, WeWork Greater China. “Across the globe, over 70% of our members interact and more than 50% of our members partner with each other. These members are entrepreneurs, SMEs, or large enterprises. Over the years, we have seen many active members from mainland China in our Hong Kong community. In the past, WeWork has supported expansions of an investment consultant company from Shanghai to Hong Kong and connected a FinTech startup member from mainland China to an APAC blockchain lab. Such examples truly underscore WeWork as the springboard for companies going abroad.”
As the leading international financial center and an emerging regional innovation and technology hub, Hong Kong is well-positioned as the gateway to mainland China that offers quality trade, financial and professional services to other enterprises. Moreover, Hong Kong’s strong research and development capacity, and world-class IT infrastructure and connectivity, are complementary to Shenzhen’s advanced manufacturing and electronic production capacity. Businesses can leverage the advantages of Hong Kong as a base office and platform for raising capital while tapping on Shenzhen for its manufacturing expertise.
Guests and WeWork representatives and members celebrate the launch of WeWork’s first-ever location in Kowloon – Two Harbour Square. From left to right, Toby Tan, Office Assets Management Dept. Supervisor, Officezip Manager, Angel Tang, Deputy General Manager, China Overseas Commercial Properties Co. Ltd, Kay Kam, Community Director, WeWork Hong Kong, Alan Ai, General Manager WeWork Greater China, WeWork members Vicky Wu, Founder of NBI Solutions and Zhan Tang, Business Manager, Lumos Helmet; and Mr. Michael Glancy, Director of Markets for JLL.
Alan Ai, General Manager, WeWork Greater China, added, “In Hong Kong, many of our members engaged in innovative technology are from professional or consultancy services, FinTech, IT and e-commerce industries. As we continue to support these companies to connect and partner with other global creators, we look forward to partnering closely with different partners to unlock the unique potential of Hong Kong and create synergies with other cities to drive economic development of the Greater Bay Area.”
Strengthening of enterprise members in Hong Kong’s dynamic landscape
Hong Kong businesses are already discovering the benefits of a redefined collaborative work environment. Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Limited (“Chow Tai Fook”), listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong with 89 years of heritage, has joined the WeWork family with its innovation teams at the WeWork Two Harbour Square aiming to create a culture of flexibility and innovation and make more connections and interaction in the workplace.
“As a pioneer in digital transformation in jewellery industry and committed to promoting long term innovation in the business, Chow Tai Fook constantly seeks ways to inspire creativity within our people. WeWork’s collaborative space is ideal for the teams to unleash their creativity and explore various possibilities in such a vibrant working environment,” said Bobby Liu, Executive Director of Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group. “The WeWork community also offers unique advantages including an ever-growing regional and global network which we can leverage. Having access to WeWork resources, we expect this community that encourages and fosters creativity and collaboration, will help attract and retain valuable digital talents.”
In addition to Chow Tai Fook, Two Harbour Square is also home to freelancers, startups, SMEs and enterprises from different sectors, including Lumen Labs, the creator of a next-gen bicycle helmet – Lumos Helmet and a graduate of Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation Incubation Programme; Studio Sans Limited, a multidisciplinary digital studio; Ninetys Management Limited, a world class specialty coffee shop operated by International coffee judge and awarded barista; business consultant company NBI Solutions; Wise Academy Limited, a financial services education provider for Wealth Management & Financial Planning professionals.
Development in Kwun Tong District seeks to provide support for evolving businesses
As the Kwun Tong district continues to undergo a large-scale revitalization, the new space at Two Harbour Square will offer larger floor plates, providing businesses of sizes with a flexible and humanized working environment that accommodates the evolving demands of businesses today.
Mr. Michael Glancy, Director of Markets for JLL, speaking on trends and the development of collaborative space in Kowloon East, at the WeWork Two Harbour Square location.
Michael Glancy, Director, Markets, JLL, said, “Demand for flexible offices, including collaborative spaces, has been growing rapidly in Hong Kong, with Kowloon East set to become the second largest source of flexible space after Central in mid-2019. Some of the factors that contribute to the expanding collaborative space in Hong Kong are the growing entrepreneurial ecosystem, demand from large corporations looking for more flexibility in their real estate portfolio and a change of environment which fosters innovation through exposure of new ideas and ways of working. Bringing WeWork’s collaborative, creative space to Kwun Tong located at the heart of the growing CBD2 in Kowloon East means yet another world-class offering for businesses in the locality, which is expected to be the largest commercial district in Hong Kong by 2026. WeWork will no doubt be a platform for budding entrepreneurs to jumpstart their businesses and fulfill the corporate needs nowadays.”
Intelligent design and creative features spark connection and innovation
WeWork’s Two Harbour Square location will occupy the top two floors with a distinctive sea view of the Victoria Harbour, providing over 900 desks at the hot desk area, communal space, private offices and conference rooms. In addition, the space will boast an exclusive use of the rooftop terrace – suitable for member entertainment, external private bookings and wellness events.
The new WeWork space pays homage to the city’s heritage as an industrial seaport city with a gentle nautical theme. The design incorporates traditional raw materials like brass, hemp rope, canvas and leather, complemented by red, navy blue and orange tones, which are interspersed among the carefully curated positioning of chairs, maps, compasses and nets, creating an artful yet sophisticated modern ambience.
With a multitude of planned working spaces, members can work, dine, and relax at the coffee bar lounge, phone booths, standing desks, breakout areas, and several large meeting rooms. There is a dedicated quiet room for assignments that require high concentration. Offering companies the chance to re-imagine the employee culture through refreshing activities, the community team will also organize sunrise yoga and fitness sessions at the specially designed multifunction room. A large communal area with approximately 80 to 100 people capacity on the 26/F community floor will provide a spacious venue for events and functions catering to members and non-members alike.
With WeWork as the leading player in the region, WeWork remains committed to creating a shared future and growing the local ecosystem in the Greater Bay Area.
About WeWork WeWork provides its members around the world with space, community, and services through both physical and virtual offerings. From startups and freelancers to small businesses and Fortune 500 companies, our community is united by a desire for our members to create meaningful work and lead meaningful lives—to be a part of something greater than ourselves. Co-founded by Adam Neumann and Miguel McKelvey in New York City in 2010, WeWork is a privately held company with over 7,000 employees. Follow us @WeWork on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook or visit wework.com to learn more.
