WeWork - the platform for creators that provides the space, community and services to help people make a life, not just a living—officially announces its upcoming location at Mercu 2, Bangsar, opening in December 2019. Building momentum from its first workspace in Equatorial Plaza, WeWork Mercu 2 is the company’s second collaborative workspace in Malaysia, a testament to the company’s focus on bolstering its portfolio in Malaysia and in the region. 

December will mark two years since WeWork’s entry into the Southeast Asian market in Singapore in December 2017, during which the company has expanded to serve communities across six markets. Seeing a strong demand in Malaysia, large corporations have evolved away from traditional office environments by recognizing the benefits of collaborative spaces. Recently, new WeWork workspaces also opened in Singapore, while full floor private offices for medium-sized businesses were rolled out across Indonesia and the Philippines. 

The Mercu 2 building is one of the office towers situated within Kuala Lumpur Eco City, a transit-oriented, integrated green luxury development anchored by prime commercial offices, high-end retail outlets, luxury residential towers and a business-class hotel. Its strategic location sits within walking distance of public transportation via the Abdullah Hukum LRT train station. With a pedestrian link bridge providing convenient access to The Gardens and Mid Valley shopping malls, members will enjoy a host of dining, shopping and entertainment options a mere stone’s throw away.

“Having been in Malaysia for close to a year, we have seen a shift of global and Malaysian enterprises and companies looking to WeWork as the partner of choice to scale in the region. As we continue to develop a collaborative and engaging business ecosystem, WeWork Mercu 2 will enable us to broaden our reach to the Bangsar community. By harnessing WeWork’s global network and community, we look forward to providing unparalleled member experience, fostering greater cross-border collaborations and reinventing the way people work through designed space, flexibility, technology, and community in Malaysia,” said Turochas “T” Fuad, Managing Director, WeWork Southeast Asia and Korea. 

Empowering members and communities to innovate further

Since its opening in May 2019, WeWork Equatorial Plaza has stayed true to the company’s commitment to bringing people together, having welcomed a diverse group of members, ranging from large enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), to startups and freelancers. These members cut across varying industries, including Babel, a health and wellness club that inspires change through great experiences; Oppotus, a progressive market research company in Malaysia that offers bespoke research consulting services. Regardless of their fields, WeWork’s expertise lies in providing an agile workspace for members to scale as they wish, and focus on driving innovation and creativity.

Art moments at Mercu 2 draw inspiration iconic to Kuala Lumpur e.g. where the main lounge is juxtaposed with a neon feature of Malaysia’s national bird, rhinoceros hornbill, behind the community bar. 

One of the WeWork Mercu 2 upcoming members is Links International, Asia’s leading provider of Payroll, PEO, Immigration and HR services. “On top of our strong Asia Pacific reach including Malaysia, we were looking for an agile space for the local teams to thrive,” said Tina Tam, Regional Operations Manager, Links International. “Choosing WeWork was a natural fit as we needed a workplace environment that supported the team to be creative, flexible and agile. We look forward to moving our team in Malaysia into WeWork Mercu 2 and tapping on synergies in the community as we continue to provide our award-winning human resources services across Asia.”

Meeting demand with the right design

WeWork’s success in transforming space into experience has been a game-changer in how people think about office spaces, integrating design and technology to create a workspace attuned to the needs of a new-age workforce. Sitting on the topmost floors of the Mercu 2 building, member companies will enjoy plenty of natural lighting amplified by high ceilings and a composition of warm tones from wood, tiles and fabrics.

At the community bar, the colour from the Songket fabric and metallic threads are layered against the warmth of the wood textures, and paired with a red toned marble countertop for an elevated vibe.

With WeWork’s signature style, local elements are also incorporated around the space, from art pieces to custom furniture. A hand-woven “songket”, intricately patterned with metallic threads, terracotta tiles in the pantry as well as rattan frames and concrete vent blocks in nooks pays homage to the traditional Malaysian “kampung”. Along the façade, the lounge and offices boast panoramic views of Bangsar.

In light of the Malaysian government’s focus on driving the nation forward as a digital economy, WeWork is primed to support the growth of enterprises, SMEs and startups alike, empowering its members through its global community and fuelling innovation as it amplifies its presence in the country.