Woods Bagot is leading the interior design for a number of new corporate event spaces for US premium meetings, events, and workspace company, Convene. Set within one of London’s most popular commercial addresses, 22 Bishopsgate, the London Studio team will be responsible for the design and delivery of over 50,000 sq ft of state-of-the-art event spaces. These will include meeting and conference rooms, elevated commons and a large auditorium-style space.

Working closely with Convene’s in-house design team, the interiors will reflect Convene’s focus on amenity, hospitality and experience, where it can provide its users with an elevated offer, similar to that of a 5-star hotel. Taking into consideration the uniqueness of London, the design has been influenced by the concept of the ‘Modern Livery’. Like the Livery companies of the City of London, Convene will be providing a platform for the creators and the innovators alike.

The finished design will show a mix of traditional architecture, the history of Bishopsgate and the modern cultural influence of local contemporary street artist Ben Eine, bringing together the old and new, the clean and decorative.

Shared amenity spaces will provide opportunities for chance collaboration, while the large auditorium and meeting suite will create opportunities for large or small functions and events.

With significant change in the workplace market over the last year, Convene aims to continue providing a one-of-a-kind premium service to its users with leading operating standards. Technology and digital capabilities, as always, have been ingrained throughout the design so that any company using one of these spaces can ensure seamless and wholly flexible ways of working.

Peter O’Donnell, Principal and Project Director, comments: “We are really excited to be a part of this team and Convene’s first ever foray into the UK office market, one which we feel particularly familiar with.

“Convene has established an incredible reputation for world-class workspaces and venues in the US. This is a great opportunity for us to collaborate with them to introduce such a forward-thinking and enhanced product to the City of London. Convene’s heightened hospitality approach to its user experience aligns well with our design leadership and we look forward to moving into the construction phases and seeing the project come to life next year.”

James Frankis, Director of Product at Convene, comments: “For Convene’s first international location, we’re excited to partner with Woods Bagot who shares our vision for what premium, hospitality-focused spaces can be. 22 Bishopsgate is designed around how people interact, collaborate, and create community within a building, which inspired how we designed the Convene floors.

“All our meeting spaces are designed to accommodate a range of meeting styles from keynote speakers to collaborative work sessions. Every room is also paired with a gallery space for people to mingle, network, and eat before and after events. Our event spaces can host incredible in-person or virtual and hybrid events via our new Convene Studio offering, while our club space is ideal for people in need of an upscale, drop-in area to meet with clients and colleagues. We’re looking forward to welcoming our fellow tenants in the building and the surrounding business community with our signature brand of hospitality.” 

This project is due to complete and open its doors in 2022.