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Europe’s most impressive coworking spaces

Almost every company was obliged to go down the remote route during the pandemic, and it began a tidal wave of change. It brought fresh ideas to the shore about how we work, where we work and why we work. Now, while we seem to be living in a post-pandemic age, remote and hybrid working is the pandemic-encouraged trend that has endured. 

It’s a model of working that offers employees the flexibility they crave. With digital transformation across virtually all sectors, it’s also a model that isn’t hampering business outcomes. In fact, many companies find productivity has been boosted by hybrid work – happier, more balanced employees makes for better business after all. The remote and hybrid way of working is here to stay. It’s become embedded in a new lifestyle culture that young professionals crave. It empowers people to work where they feel comfortable, where they feel most productive, and it is allowing a new generation of digital nomads and workcation-ers. Even companies themselves are going fully remote, you can also check out our guide on how startups can do this successfully. Further, just this month, the Dutch Parliament has even approved a proposal to make “Work from Home” a legal right.

One outcome of remote and hybrid working is also the need for workspaces. Whilst there is of course the option to literally ‘work-from-home’, this doesn’t necessarily work for some people. With distractions in the household, a lack of dedicated office space, to struggling to focus – there are different reasons why working from home might not suit someone. However, this doesn’t mean missing out on the benefits of remote and hybrid work – there’s also the rise of coworking spaces. 

Coworking is centred on the concept of providing a space whereby individuals can work independently or collaboratively in a shared space. Across Europe, the popularity of these spaces is skyrocketing. It’s become almost a lifestyle – an experience, that puts you in contact not only with other people like you but also with a community, nature, scenery or even adventure!

Here are some of Europe’s most impressive coworking spaces. If you are working remotely or on a hybrid model – we recommend you check these out in person and see them for yourself.

OneCowork – Barcelona

Catering to Fortune500 companies and large teams as much as to individual freelancers, OneCoWork has developed three coworking spaces in Barcelona that are designed with empowering business success in mind – every little detailed is developed by their in-house design team. Some of Spain’s biggest unicorns have already been part of OneCoWork community and each of their three centric locations has a unique personality that threads its way from outside in. Offering a range of membership options, that include choosing between office spaces, dedicated desks, flexi desks and so on, the aim is to be a place of inspiration. OneCoWork operates on an ethos of productivity, collaboration, and innovation. It’s also working towards being a zero-emission space and is actively taking steps to lower its environmental footprint. OneCoWork also offers day and weekly-pass options for the workcation-ers and digital workers always on the go.

Second Home – Lisbon

Described as the ‘workspace as creative as you’, Second Home is located above the 19th Century Mercado da Ribeira and it is alive with a thousand types of plants. It’s operated with a belief in the healing power of nature, and the inspiration this can give to innovators and entrepreneurs. The natural setting also helps avoid background noise and improves the air quality inside. They boast long tables, and desks fully equipped to work as well as a lounge area. With different membership options available, depending on how you work, as well as meeting rooms, breakout spaces and plenty of perks – it has all bases covered and more.  There’s even a surf bus that can take you to the beach and back to the office – pretty cool setup if you ask us.

Playworking – Montenegro

Playworking is a co-living and coworking experience nestled in Montenegro’s stunning coastline. It thrives in creating a work environment that values and embraces the art of play and increases ideation and productivity. They encourage their members to close their laptops and enjoy some of Montenegro’s most inspiring landscapes –  advocating that incorporating an element of play into everyday life will have a huge impact on work and persepctives. It’s especially popular with the growing generation of young digital nomads – giving them a place to enjoy the good life and embrace the hustle all at the same time.

Cloudworks – Barcelona and Madrid

Having opened spaces in some of Barcelona and Madrid’s most beautiful buildings, right in the centre of the cities, Cloudworks is a coworking space that is growing in popularity,   thanks to its community approach and commitment to personalisation. The coworking space provides everything that a hybrid or remote worker or team could need, from freelancers to startups to corporations. Beyond coworking, Cloudworks is interested in ‘conviviencia’ – that sense of a community that thrives together and supports one another. It provides members with a wide range of tools for personal development as well as the chance to get involved in cultural activities and personal wellness programmes. Supporting the hustle as much as mind, body and spirit. There are a range of membership and pass options available to suit all types of workers and many of the spaces have rooftop terraces – which we very much encourage taking advantage of. Our personal favourite? The space in Barcelona’s iconic Casa Les Punxes (see image).

Maria 01 – Helsinki

Home to over 1,400 members and more than 170 startups, Maria 01 is one of the Nordics’ coworking hotspots. It boasts a strong entrepreneurial community and a selection-based campus for innovative tech teams. It aims to create an inspirational environment for ambitious startups, VCs, and large enterprises – believing that bringing all these different perspectives and players together is the secret sauce to success, for everyone. it’s become a nordic place of dreams – giving ambitious entrepreneurs the chance to have a place to try new ideas and unleash their potential. It is centred around a core community that is inherently Nordic, utilising its thriving network to foster collaborations beyond borders.

Station F – Paris

Station F is the world’s largest startup campus and it’s found in one of Europe’s beating startup cities – Paris. The campus and community-oriented coworking is home to 1000 startups, over 30 development programmes and a full range of services. It also hosts events and workshops every year to help startups catapult their success journey – going beyond simply being a place to plug in a laptop and get some work done. But that’s not all. Aside from a mouth-watering selection of bars and restaurants where you can hang out to blow off steam after a busy day, it also has a housing solution – Flatmates, a co-living extension.

Mindspace – Berlin

Mindspace is a boutique flex space provider. The beautifully designed space in Skalitzer, Berlin, is a coworking space with private offices, welcoming lounges and open kitchens which have been brought to life by a mix of Kreuzberg’s very own experimental artists. Mindspace also offers personal services attuned to the worker’s needs and in-house carefully curated events packed with wellness, lifestyle, and professional development programs. It offers an open space for individual workers, travelling professionals and freelancers as well as private office spaces and team suites.

KAPTÁR – Budapest

Kaptar is a coworking space of freelancers, digital nomads, and entrepreneurs in the heart of Budapest. The space is equipped with enterprise-class wifi and comfy working areas. Spaces are lit with plenty of natural light which definitely brings in a positive vibe and there’s also a self-service café. Kaptar has a wonderful inspiring community and a welcoming and warm atmosphere. You have the chance to be a part of the community even if you don’t need the office for work – welcoming people to join for the social aspect as well. It’s about building a community, regardless of if the members join the space with their laptops every day. But for those that do, it’s an affordable, well-equipped and productive space to be.

Bouncespace – Eindhoven

The Bouncespace building is one of Eindhoven’s true hidden gems, a large glass ceiling shaped like a diamond, where underneath a kitchen is run right at the heart of the building. Bright and dynamic, the community at BounceSpace is energetic and creates a highly productive environment. Collaborations between members are encouraged – it’s part of the theory that bouncing ideas off of one another, as well as critical thinking, can foster innovative solutions which are uniquely found in BounceSpace. The space has desks as well as curated meeting and event areas – such as ‘The Box’, ‘The Kitchen’ and a private kitchen for special occasions.

Factory Forty – Brussels

A combo of vintage furniture, tropical plants, and the latest technology, Factory Forty offers airy spaces, natural lighting and a lush garden. There’s a spacious lounge and an ample kitchen to connect with others. Comfort is the word that comes to mind in this space located in the heart of Brussels. It comprises 70 fully equipped desks for co-working and also has dedicated meeting and event spaces – that are also open for yoga classes if that’s the vibe.

Betahaus – Barcelona

Betahaus is based in the Gracia neighbourhood and is a flexible coworking space for remote workers and companies. Betahaus boasts five chilled-out floors that give members the freedom to work, collaborate, and grow while enjoying stunning views of Barcelona. Yes – there’s a rooftop terrace. They give entrepreneurs and creative professionals a home using the “perpetual beta” principle: open code, undone, incomplete and always changing. It operates on a flexible coworking approach and also has hourly vouchers available which make the space accessible to individuals who need to leave home for a couple of hours per week and companies that need to give space to their employees

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Patricia Allen
Patricia Allen
is the Head of Content at EU-Startups. With a background in politics, Patricia has a real passion for how shared ideas across communities and cultures can bring new initiatives and innovations for the future. She spends her time bringing you the latest news and updates of startups across Europe, and curating our social media.
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