Interior architect studio Holloway Li has unveiled its latest project: a community-centric, co-living space in Wembley, where residents can stay for a day or up to a year.
As nomadic lifestyle habits become conventional, especially living in a post-pandemic world, the presence of community-centred accommodation, which provides flexible co-living and working facilities, is expanding. One of London’s latest examples is Ark Co-Living, a new 300-studio retreat which allows visitors to stay for a night or up to a year depending on their requirements, while offering a resident’s lounge, co-working office space, private meeting rooms, a gym, multimedia room and outdoor terrace.
A former hotel, the building has been transformed thanks to the London-based interior design studio Holloway Li. The studio’s co-founder Na Li says they took influence from nautical interiors when approaching the project, especially with the scale and spatial layout reminiscent of that of a luxury cruise liner. With its large capacity and central communal facilities offering a unique experience for its tenants, it provides a glimpse of how community-based living is on the rise as people seek connection once again, with increasing house prices and remote working also continuing to encourage younger generations to lean towards more transient lives.
Alluding to the building’s name, Holloway Li expanded on the nautical theme by referencing the interiors of canal boats within the studio layouts. Bespoke joinery zones the rooms into areas, with screens and partitioned seating booths adding structure while making efficient use of the space. An extension to the building’s exterior also references a ship’s hull, providing extra rest and relaxation areas for the residents. The top floor houses the Pavilion, a large communal area with panoramic views across the city. Its open-plan layout offers zones in which to work, cook and dine and has been designed to encourage a convivial ambience through interaction and conversation. The designated co-working space features a large 16-seater table in the centre of the room with small clusters of comfortable seating offering alternative workspaces or areas for groups to convene. This casual, yet stimulating, environment is a true representation of the balanced, hybrid structure many companies are turning to, in the hope of providing added flexibility and comfort to employees.
The palettes of warm neutrals, dark woods and luscious botanicals come together beautifully as the different textures add interest and depth into the space making it feel like ‘home from home’. The MasterChef style kitchen comprises of seven cooking stations, again encouraging residents to cook and dine together. Downstairs on the ground floor, the main entrance lounge and co-working area presents a warm welcome into the building and similarly features an organic beauty with its natural materials and earthy palette, while a communal breakfast island, private phone booths and cosy booth seating offers added versatility. “We wanted every amenity space within Ark’s debut building to feel elevated,” comments Li, who’s conscious approach has also prioritised reusing and retaining existing elements and furniture where possible. “Borrowing from our hospitality experience while blending in homely residential elements, we have created what we hope will offer a new mode of living for those who want to reside within.”
This ambitious concept is one which offers intrigue and a sense of excitement in thinking about the prospect of living and working temporarily alongside like-minded professionals, from all corners of the world. Could this be a representation of how we might be living in years to come? Is home really a feeling which can be accessed through spaces such as this, as we continue to explore the opportunities that lie within the new hybrid working model we are rapidly becoming used to? When looking at the exquisite results of Holloway Li’s creative vision, it certainly allows you to imagine how it could become a reality.
Images courtesy of Nicholas Worley and Ed Reeve.
