A new flagship co-working space from Uncommon opened opposite Liverpool Street station in London, in May. Tapping into the trend for biophilic interior design, it has plentiful greenery, walnut tree trunk tables and lots of natural light. Jenny Southan reports
Located within the Crosspoint, a cylindrical building acquired from Lord Sugar’s development company, Uncommon Liverpool Street is ideal for people looking to be based in the City of London.
In addition to Uncommon sites in Borough, Highbury and Islington, and Fulham, this is the fourth co-working space from the brand. (More are to come later in the year.)
Day passes for locals or out-of-towners cost £48, which is pricey, but wifi is free and the quality of environment certainly trumps a local Starbucks. Monthly membership starts from £299.
Taking inspiration from Scandinavian and Italian design, standout pieces of furniture include two custom-designed communal tables from Riva 1920 that have been cut from single walnut tree trunks.
There are also bespoke meeting room tables and sideboards from Cattelan, specially designed angular polished Portoro marble bars, bronze and brass detailing, smoked glass shelving and a feature fireplace made from perforated extruded metalwork.
The main floor has a barista coffee bar selling oat milk lattes and open avocado sandwiches, as well as a theatre-style stepped seating area and a five-metre-tall Ficus Benjamina tree surrounded by hanging chairs.
Upstairs is an outdoor roof terrace, private workdesks next to a living wall of foliage and hand-crafted, walnut-clad nap pods.
Greenery is central to Uncommon’s wellness strategy and the Liverpool Street space features more than 1,000 plants to help oxygenate the air. It makes a real difference when you spend so much time in an urban setting.
Founder and interior designer for Uncommon, Tania Adir, says: “We want people to feel better about being at work, so we’ve applied the very latest thinking in sound design, aroma, ergonomics and the psychology of productivity. 
“We don’t believe anyone else in the sector has taken such a close look at wellbeing at work. This isn’t just about the occasional yoga class or desk massage – this is a completely different way of looking after your members, and a real breath of fresh air in the industry.”