Inside Sydney’s most stunning co-working space, right under the Harbour Bridge
Could this be Sydney’s most impressive co-working space? Tucked beneath the arches of the Harbour Bridge in Lavender Bay, Work Inc has transformed a series of heritage warehouses into a premium flexible office environment defined by soaring concrete walls, exposed steelwork and harbour views.
Work Inc’s adaptive reuse of the former industrial buildings, once used during the bridge’s construction, has delivered a workspace set apart from conventional offices, where glass pods and collaborative zones blend with the site’s original architecture. The distinctive industrial design of the co-working space is attracting a growing community of start-ups, creatives and established businesses.
Work Inc chief executive Mark Davidson says, along with the space’s distinctive design, it’s the hospitality-led operating model that is helping members grow their businesses in spaces fit for a king.
The co-working space run like a luxury hotel
One of Work Inc’s 100 tenants is the charity The King’s Trust Australia, which King Charles was scheduled to visit on his 2024 trip to Australia before his stay was cut short by health concerns.
“When we were first starting out, I went around the world to look at the 50 best in the world, and looked at so many in Singapore, London, New York, Chicago, San Francisco … everywhere,” he says. “Then, on the 46th, in San Francisco, I had a lightbulb moment.
“The community manager walked out and I asked her about her background. She said she used to run five Hilton hotels, and she runs her co-working space like a hotel. That made perfect sense to me. We’re like a hotel but have just swapped beds for desks, and character heritage buildings for sterile office towers in the CBD.”
So, apart from the stunning industrial vibe of the adaptive reuse and heritage preservation of the premises in Lavender Bay on the lower north shore, Work Inc has also prioritised the customer experience.
As a result, the conjoined warehouses are now decorated with original artworks, including giant pop art murals, vintage furniture and motorbikes, equipped with every kind of amenity imaginable, from showers to a kitchen to a library, table tennis and pool tables to big armchairs with chess sets, and have a round-the-clock concierge for any special requests.
Work Inc board chair Kristy Valentine says that one business owner customer was having a bad day once, and he off-handedly mentioned to a staff member that all he wanted was a kebab. It was duly delivered to him.
“Our concierge will help with anything, including date night suggestions, sanitary items, dog treats, even a bottle of champagne if people have something to celebrate,” Valentine says.
“I think that’s one of the reasons so many people stay with us long term. Our first customer who’s an architect, joined us 10 years ago when we first started in one warehouse, and he’s still here. I think the space initially attracts people, but the service and sense of community keep them here.”
Art, architecture and unexpected details
The warehouses in the six bays were originally used as workshops for building the bridge, but when it was finished in 1932, they became a depot for the NSW police motorcycle squad, then the highway patrol and most recently for the recovery of vehicles stuck on the bridge. Davidson now leases them from the NSW government and gradually remodelled them with a $20 million fitout.
In pride of place in one of the bays is an upcycled shipping container, which was famously seized by NSW Police in 2011 with over 600 kilograms of pseudoephedrine – a methamphetamine precursor – hidden inside its frame. Now it’s been repurposed into cafe Bay Ten Espresso, serving nothing more dangerous than caffeine and calories.
In one corner is a florist’s business, Wyldwood Collective, being operated by start-up entrepreneur Geordie Peacock since January. “They made this space available for me, and I love it,” she says. ‘My main focus is on sustainability and seasonality, and it’s going quite well.
“I have contracts to supply flowers on a weekly basis for some of the offices, people from outside come in to buy, and I’m always around for last minute gifts!”
Where Sydney start-ups and creatives connect
The buildings rent out desks and offices from $200 a week, with Work Inc’s 600 members able to use all the meeting rooms and collaboration spaces, and to upsize or downscale as the need arises, as big projects are underway and as they are finished.
Ben Dixon, for instance, the chief executive of data and analytics company Fonto, started with one desk in 2018 and now has 29 spaces and is about to take 30.
“I like the people here, and we all love the space as it’s so cool, and active and inspires you to be creative,” he says, standing in the lounge just off the offices with its massive chandelier and leather sofas that he’s dubbed their “cocktail lounge”. “There are alternatives that could be more price-efficient, but they are so grey and boring.”
Customers are encouraged to network and collaborate, and some have gone into business together or invested in each other’s companies. The surroundings have also proved effective in attracting or retaining staff.
Davidson says that all 40 years of his experience in the commercial property industry, formerly with the Trafalgar Corporate Group, have been poured into creating the best possible built and operational environment for co-working.
“We want to do all the back-of-house for people so they can concentrate all their time and energies on building their businesses,” he says. “We have a functional , beautiful environment designed to foster success and, as a result, it’s full of interesting people doing interesting things with a very interesting vibe.”
