
naked’s latest Hub in Gubei will accomodate 1,700 desks
Shanghai-based co-working startup naked Hub aims to revolutionise work environments by incorporating co-wellness space into flagship projects to be launched in Shanghai and Hong Kong during the first half of 2017.
naked’s 12,200 square metre Gubei hub is set to debut in the first quarter of the new year and will be the first co-working facility globally with dedicated space for members to collaborate in achieving their wellness goals while building their companies. The 1,700 desk centre in western Shanghai will dedicate an entire floor to co-wellness facilities and services for members, or Hubbers in naked speak.
The branch of Shanghai-based naked group intends to follow up on the Gubei launch by bringing out its first Hong Kong hub during the second quarter of 2017. Hong Kong-based Gaw Capital participated in a round of funding that invested $33 million into naked Hub just over one month ago, and the company has announced plans to put that capital to work launching 24 new hubs by the end of 2017.
Offering Wellness While You Work

naked Hub’s CEO Jonathan Seliger
“We are evolving from the ordinary co-working industry norm. We are introducing a ‘co-life’ concept, in which food and beverages, mental and physical wellness are incorporated into the co-working community,” naked Hub CEO Jon Seliger told Mingtiandi in an interview. “Work takes up a major part of your time and we want to benefit everyone in the hub.”
The offshoot of resort developer naked Retreats is set to join hands with third-party vendors to offer affordable and healthy all-day dining choices in the new hubs. Its Hubbers who come to the centres to work, will be also be able to mingle over meals without leaving the premises.
Another highlight is its “co-wellness” concept, which allows Hubbers easy booking through its mobile app for a variety of courses and leisure activities. These wellness options will include meditation, yoga, personal training, spinning, pilates and even massage sessions.
In Gubei, all of this wellness will take place in a renovated tower at the intersection of Yanan Lu and Luoguanshan Lu, in the heart of the Gubei commercial district. Among the facilities provided will be badminton and basketball courts. All together, naked Hub Gubei will devote 1,900 square metres of space to co-wellness, with another 1,315 square metres given over to restaurants, cafes and other food and beverage options. The centre will also include a 500 square metre event space at the rooftop.
“Work gets stressful sometimes and it’s important to take care of employees and allow them to perform at the highest potential,” Seliger said.
Expansion Plans Take naked to Hong Kong
naked’s first Hong Kong hub is slated for Sheung Wan district, just one subway stop from Central District. The co-working space will take up the entirety of a 30-storey building on Bonham Strand, minutes from the subway. And with 91,000 square feet (8,500 square metres) of space providing a total of 1,100 desks, is expected to be the largest co-working space in the city.
The Sheung Wan hub will also incorporate co-wellness options for hubbers, with the company seeing the healthy lifestyle elements of its centres as a key differentiator from other co-working providers. “There are lots of places where you can rent a desk, and there are getting to be more everyday,” Seliger points out. “From our experience running healthy retreats and from operating our existing hubs, we find that working productively requires much more than a flat surface and a place to plug in your laptop.”
With naked Hub’s pipeline rapidly expanding, the Gubei and Sheung Wan hubs will be among the two dozen new facilities it plans to roll out across Greater China and Southeast Asia in 2017. By the end of next year, the company targets a total of 100,000 square metres of space and 20,000 hubbers across all locations.
naked Hub currently runs seven hubs in Shanghai, with its Xintiandi centre having come online in October, and another location on Xikang Lu in Jing An district due to open this month.
naked Hub Gubei in Pictures
- The Gubei facility will add 1,700 desks to naked’s fleet
- The Gubei location is at Yan’an Lu and Loushanguan Lu in western Shanghai
- A night-time view of the Gubei centre
- The new centre will include “living rooms” in addition to co-wellness space
- naked Hub’s new centre in Gubei is believed to be the largest in Asia
This feature article was sponsored by naked Hub.
Leave a Reply