Spaces, an Amsterdam-born creative workspace, opened its first location in Canada in 2017, at 180 John Street.
From the first moment it opened its doors, it redefined the way Toronto businesses look at office space.
Spaces is a creative work environment with a unique entrepreneurial heart. It provides a dynamic work environment for just about anyone: from freelancers and small businesses to larger corporations and SMEs. It’s also ideal for frequent business travellers or those looking to host a meeting outside of their usual business environment.
Vibrant. Flexible. Inspirational.
This Spaces location is not your typical office building. Nestled in the tree-lined west side of John Street, it is just steps away from Grange Park, the Art Gallery of Ontario, and the pulsating and trendy Queen Street that is rated as one of the coolest neighbourhoods in the world by Vogue Magazine. Standing eight storeys tall, Spaces has a magnificent view of Downtown Toronto from the rooftop garden terrace and seven floors of dynamically designed and colourful co-working space.
The walls of the space are painted in vibrant colours and every floor features a vast array of décor, furniture, lighting, prints, paintings and books. The 7th and 8th floors are merged into one large loft space with floor-to-ceiling windows, creating a feeling of openness and grandeur. This space is an ideal shared work environment providing breaks from the daily routine but is also frequently used for hosting a wide range of events, from weddings to large networking and panel events.
Spaces has different work areas available for booking, like the fully-equipped meeting rooms, which are open to both members and non-members, and workspaces that include Business Club memberships, a dedicated desk, or a private office.
“Professionals and companies don’t think the same way about their workspace as they did 20 or even 10 years ago. Traditional offices aren’t always desirable to the working population anymore; instead, we are seeing a trend of people wanting open, bright, collaborative workspaces — they want to be inspired. They want flexibility. They want the space they are in to motivate them to do their best work ,” says Tobin Davis, Executive Vice President with Colliers International in Toronto, who worked with Spaces to find its first location at 180 John Street.
Success breeds more success.
A personification of creativity and thoughtful design, Spaces at 180 John Street cultivates a community of innovation, networking and growth. With a diverse clientele and a plethora of open and inviting areas on every floor that encourage members to meet other occupants, the space offers many opportunities for spontaneous and planned meetings with a business of interest.
One of Spaces’ mottos is that success breeds more success. The team at 180 John embraces this sentiment wholeheartedly and organizes monthly social events, available to members, to encourage their clients to take advantage of the open environment and connect with other members. Furthermore, members of the Spaces community can attend an event hosted at any Spaces centre in the world.
Spaces’ members benefit in more ways than simply saving on operation costs; Spaces provides an opportunity to generate more business by being in the space and having the ability to network and showcase one’s brand. One of Spaces’ tenants, Emily Mills, the founder of How She Hustles, hosted a Startup and Slate event in May 2018 for female entrepreneurs. Taking place in the large event space on the 7th floor, this meet-up and panel event generated media buzz and had over 150 women in attendance.
“We wanted Spaces to be more than just a provider of a great workspace. We wanted it to be a connector in the community, facilitating a business’ growth within the context of other businesses sitting right by their side,” says Wayne Berger, Chief Executive Officer for Canada and Latin America, IWG.
Honouring history and accelerating into the future
Situated in the trendy and historical area of Queen and John streets, Spaces is a 1916-built, red, brick-and-beam former warehouse that used to be the home of one of the city’s most treasured businesses, Urbane Cyclist. Paying tribute to its past, Spaces has bicycle wheels suspended from its ceiling in a colourful and mesmerizing display of history.