The Working Capitol
by Hassell Studio

The Working Capitol at Robinson in Singapore has been hugely successful in identifying the attributes that make co-working spaces actually work, a philosophy that has previously earnt TWC Forbes magazine’s title as one of Asia’s top co-working spaces.

Quickly establishing themselves as co-working pacesetters in 2014 when they converted an old biscuit factory in Chinatown into Singapore’s first co-working space housing more than 300 personnel, The Working Capitol has wasted no time in bringing to fruition its second dynamic co-working space in the centre of Singapore’s CBD. The Working Capitol at Robinson is a sophisticated, stylish and highly contemporary mixed-use structure incorporating 86 office suites and 6 stores.

With a focus on simple raw elegance, the selected building materials charged the defined spaces with an exuberant life of their own. Not only were Mafi chemical-free floors the aesthetic choice, they were also the natural healthy choice. Mafi exudes a sense of health and wellbeing not only due to the all-natural manufacturing processes but, put simply, also because of the organic benefits of wood. Apart from being aesthetically pleasing and calming in nature, timber, when left as close to its raw state as possible has the innate ability to clean and filter the air.

Hassell specified Mafi Oak Molto Brushed White Oil. The uniquely profiled grains and vibrant tones of Oak Molto flooring exquisitely complement the highly-worked tactile character of the building’s joinery and wall finishes. Delivered in random widths Molto boards are processed to utilise smaller mixed-width planks that would otherwise be considered as offcuts. This allows Mafi to create more of the real product and simultaneously celebrate the imperfect nature of timber presenting the client with a feel-good, ecological and innovative approach to their choice of flooring.

Free of dangerous adhesives, VOCs, and chemical based lacquers, Mafi flooring helps provide The Working Capitol with a healthy work environment providing a safe space for allergy sufferers and asthmatics alike. Furthermore, Mafi floors are designed to continuously filter the air as they are not coated but are finished with a natural oil that penetrates the timber and hardens it from within allowing the pores of the timber to breathe.

Combine this with the verdant richness of photosynthesising plants scattered across the Working Capitol’s 11 storeys to further cleanse the internal air and brilliant sunlight filtering in through the space’s generous glazing, is it any wonder that nobody working here wants to go home.