12 Nov 2019
The Collective goes big and goes global with its two new co-living destinations
BY Stu Robarts
The Collective has opened new co-living destinations in the Long Island City neighbourhood of New York and in London’s Canary Wharf.
Its 125-room Long Island City venue is the firm's first in the US and its only one for short (one to 29 night) stays only.
The Collective Paper Factory, as it is called, is housed in a 100-year-old building that previously housed a paper goods factory and a radio factory.
The Collective worked with Palette Architecture to renovate the building, the industrial design and metal-work features of which have been retained.
Among the 20,000sq ft (1,900sq m) of amenities is a bright, open-plan lobby with a reception and seating, as well as various spaces for gathering.
A lower-level event space will host the Collective Paper Factory's cultural programme, which is "designed to engage people in conversations and experiences that explore the future of co-living."
An existing outdoor space has been developed to serve as a "neighbourhood hangout" throughout the summer months.
A new restaurant serving cuisine from around the world is due to open at the end of the year, retaining many of its original industrial features, such as an old spiral staircase.
Another 100+ rooms built on top of the original building are scheduled for launch in 2021, meanwhile.
Reza Merchant, founder and CEO of the Collective, said: "The Collective has been successful in pioneering the co-living sector because we create shared space that is led by culture, experience and local engagement.
"We love to join vibrant neighbourhoods who are embarking on their own phase of change, where we can forge meaningful partnerships and really make a contribution. Long Island City is the perfect place to debut a flavour of our signature co-living approach."
The Collective followed the opening of its Long Island City venue with its new Canary Wharf location that it has billed as the world's largest co-living space.
Designed and built from the ground up by Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill (SOM), it houses 705 rooms across 21 levels.
A 20th-floor restaurant, pool and spa boast panoramic views, while technology-optimised spaces in the basement act as the building’s social hub, with a bar, a cinema, a private viewing room, a virtual reality golf simulator and a gaming room.
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