The project by the studio BBA-Architetti & Partners for the Belpo' shopping center in the Lodi region

The world of work has entered a new era: that of smart working. It is a growing phenomenon; according to the latest data, there are 480,000 smart workers (source: Osservatorio 2018), especially in large corporations. So it becomes increasingly urgent not only to redesign workspaces, but also to offer new places for working and encounters, in order to encourage networking.

To respond to this need, the LinkNow project forms an agreement between Catalitic, specialized in the coworking sector, and Ceetrus Italy which has 47 shopping centers across the nation.

This is the first coworking initiative in Italy created inside a shopping center, with the opening of a new space inside the Belpo’ shopping center in San Rocco al Porto. A true working business space, for smart workers of large companies, start-ups, small and medium businesses and freelance professionals, who can use meeting rooms, equipment, secretarial services and communal areas for reading and relaxing.

Thanks to the particular location, users can also avail themselves of all the services typical of a shopping center of the latest generation: purchases, parking, personal services, restaurants, baby parking, after school centers for kids from 3 to 12, and a fitness center.

The concept takes advantage of the perimeter walls of the center, in which new windows have been created for the offices, bringing natural light and ventilation. In the next layer, towards the inside, open-plan areas have been made with the Link People area at the center. The meeting room and break area are set against the external perimeter where windows cannot be placed. The central layout, together with the presence of flexible areas, permits easy application of the same concept to other shopping centers.

The project has been implemented by the firm BBA-Architetti & Partners, which focuses on services to boost the real estate value of shopping centers, retail facilities and office buildings, including development, restyling and all aspects related to design and construction.