WeWork’s second co-working venue, located in the Sonatus Building on Le Thanh Ton Street, will be put into service this month, while its third, at Lim Tower 3 on Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street, will be open in February next year.
New locations demonstrate continued confidence that builds on the momentum from its first location, WeWork E.Town Central. Providing purpose-built environments for the changing workforce, WeWork helps companies to be more efficient through its flexible real estate solutions.
The launch of two new locations is aimed to meet the surging demand for shared workspace among multinational corporations and medium-sized companies that are running their businesses in Vietnam, said a WeWork representative.
Branching out from E.Town Central, WeWork’s first location in District 4, the two new WeWork locations are in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City's vibrant central district. Sonatus is situated downtown at 15 Le Thanh Ton street, Ben Nghe ward, while Lim Tower 3 is at 29A Nguyen Dinh Chieu in the hip Da Kao ward.
“Sonatus is excited to work with WeWork on our new building,” said Ms. Thuy Hoang, Manager of Sonatus. “We value high-quality, environmentally-friendly construction, which is aligned with WeWork’s vision.”
“With its modern member base, WeWork will bring a fresh, driven atmosphere to Sonatus’s community. We hope for more cooperative opportunities with WeWork in the future, and we wish them success with their business plan for expansion in Vietnam.”
WeWork Sonatus is accompanied by floor-to-ceiling windows that provide ample natural light and views onto Ho Chi Minh City’s Japanese Quarter below. Taking inspiration from the iconic red brick of the Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral, the location integrates terracotta tiles, breeze blocks, and red marble at the barista bar island.
Vietnamese design elements and materials such as encaustic patterned tiles in the staircase risers and rattan weave panels are present at the community bar. Iconic traditional lanterns sit above the community bar, while rattan pendant shades hang over the common area. The mezzanine features a contemporary mural of a landscape of buckwheat flowers, while the common area consists of artworks with delicate brushstrokes inspired by Vietnamese folk art.
Amidst cafés, administrative offices, and foreign consulates in District 1’s Da Kao neighborhood, WeWork Lim Tower 3 uniquely features a karaoke room. Mixing French and Romanesque styles from the colonial era against Vietnam’s urban architecture, exterior walls of grey granite and an interior of black, grey, and red polished stone are integrated.
Bringing warmth to the space, rattan panels are wrapped in dark walnut contrast and wallpapers are inspired by French Chinoiserie design, with Vietnamese block prints illustrating traditional scenes with references to modern life.
Ho Chi Minh City has rapidly become a major business hub in Southeast Asia, creating strong demand for WeWork’s collaborative space, which offers enterprises and businesses an integrated environment blending community, design, culture, and technology.
The vibrant community found at WeWork E.Town Central, opened in March, is in line with the company’s commitment to redefining the nature of work, having welcomed a diverse group of members, ranging from large enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to startups and freelancers.
Members cut across varying industries, including PostCo, a new, easy, and convenient parcel service that also has a presence in WeWork Equatorial Plaza in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
“Choosing WeWork for our Vietnam office was the ideal choice, as it allows us to easily connect with enterprises and other like-minded businesses in WeWork’s dynamic shared space,” said Ms. Melisa Wang, COO and Co-Founder of PostCo. “This experience also translated when we scaled up our operations in Kuala Lumpur. By giving us the agility to scale our business across markets, WeWork enables us to stay flexible as we focus on growing our local business.”
Moreover, Vietnam’s young population and rapidly growing economy support a strong small business and startup community and entrepreneurial culture, which has led to high demand for collaborative co-working spaces.
Recent trade agreements including the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) have increased the country’s standing as a regional and global business center. As a result, WeWork is well-poised for continued success and expansion in the Vietnamese market.
WeWork has established a strong presence in Southeast Asia over the past two years, since opening its first location in Singapore in 2017. It now boasts major footprints in Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines.
Accordingly, WeWork will continue its expansion plan in the local co-working market, the representative said. As of the second quarter of the year, WeWork operates in 625 locations in over 127 cities and 33 countries.
With Ho Chi Minh City an increasingly popular hub for local, regional, and global enterprises and startups seeking to accelerate their growth in Vietnam’s vibrant economy, the greater ASEAN region and beyond, WeWork aims to continue empowering companies and individuals throughout the region to reimagine how they work.
