Convendum has opened its new flagship coworking space in the middle of Kungsgatan in Stockholm. The 8,500-sqm space brings together historical elements, state-of-the-art interiors and a public café. Just a few months after the opening, the office has already broken all records.

It is sometimes said that three factors determine the value of a property: location, location and location. Rarely is this more evident than when you visit Convendum’s new office at Kungsgatan 9. Between Stureplan and Hötorget, surrounded by iconic shops and constant movement, the grand building with a century of history rises up from the street. There is no doubt that this particular address has a special meaning for Sweden’s leading coworking operator.

“We’re on Stockholm’s most fashionable street. It provides incredible exposure and a whole new buzz around the brand. We see it almost as a before and after Kungsgatan for us. It’s become our obvious flagship,” says Oscar Limbäck, COO at Convendum, as we sit down in the newly built café, Convendum Coffee, at street level in the building.

The office opened in the summer of 2022, but the journey to this point began in 2018. Fabege, which has owned the property for several decades, saw a need to carry out extensive renovations and agreed with the former tenant that the best thing to do was to part company. When the search for new customers began, they found that interest was unexpectedly high. After all, it’s not common for an 8,500-sqm building in the city centre to be vacant.

“This is our biggest project in the city for ten years,” says Oskar Sköld, Head of Market Areas at Fabege. “Of course, a property with so much space and so many floors is not for everyone. But for Convendum, which rents out premium offices with open coworking spaces to other companies, the size was an advantage. And we immediately felt that we shared the same vision for the building.”

Want to create an international hub

As soon as the contract was signed, the property was renovated from the ground up. The work took almost two years, with Fabege and Convendum working closely together. The heating and ventilation have been updated to provide climate-smart systems that are automatically controlled based on the number of people in the office. All lighting and interiors have been replaced. At the same time, care has been taken to preserve historical features such as wooden staircases, pillars and stucco work – and to open up the old courtyard.

The result is an experience: a coworking space as inviting as it is elegant, where the building’s national romantic charm blends seamlessly with Convendum’s modern design. 

“Our goal is for the office to be an international hub for everyone. A place where different actors, new and established businesses, can access different types of networks. Everything we do should contribute to success and feel well-conceived and professional – from the interior design and art to acoustics and service. Everything needs to fit together. And it’s turned out very well,” says Oscar Limbäck.

The café where we’re sitting, Convendum Coffee, is a key part of this whole. This is the second time ever that Convendum is offering a public space. In the café, both members and guests from outside can buy breakfast, lunch and refreshments. It’s also a place for spontaneous meetings where you can socialise over a cup of world-class Convendum coffee. Creating a ground floor that was vibrant and conducive to social interaction was equally important to Fabege.

“Yes, it was absolutely crucial for us. This space was not actually included in the initial discussions, but we’re very happy that we found a solution with Convendum. The café makes an excellent contribution to the urban environment along the street, and it’s also wonderfully pleasant and attractive,” says Oskar Sköld at Fabege.

Record interest right from the start

Convendum’s new offices on Kungsgatan also form part of a more long-term plan. As an urban developer, Fabege wants to help make the city a better, more enjoyable and safer place. As a result, Kungsgatan has been transformed over the past ten years from a relatively anonymous transport route into a fashionable street with key international brands.

“We’ve developed the content of all businesses here in our Kungsgatan 7–15 property. The aim is for Kungsgatan to be a destination in its own right – a unique place with vibrant ground floor areas and exciting businesses. I think Convendum fits perfectly into this mix,” says Oskar Sköld.

Today, Convendum has 160 office rooms for rent, for which it provides all infrastructure and services. There is also a large number of lounges, conference and meeting rooms, kitchens, balconies and a large courtyard. It has deliberately chosen not to target a specific niche, but welcomes all industries and companies, large and small, from brokers and lawyers to tech companies. This allows members to benefit from the network in the building instead of needing to search the city. And just months after opening, the office has become a real talking point in the coworking world.

“Already when we opened, we had a level of occupancy that we hadn’t been even close to before. The response has been great. We’re already meeting our usual KPI targets by a wide margin. Even our conference section, Convendum Conference, for members and external companies, has been basically fully booked since we opened. This is really great,” says Oscar Limbäck.

The beginning of a long and successful relationship

Now, Convendum aims to continue expanding. The goal is to grow from the current 15 to over 30 coworking spaces by 2026 – primarily in Stockholm, but they are also looking at surrounding municipalities and other cities. One of these flexible and state-of-the-art hybrid offices is already under construction – in collaboration with Fabege.

“We’re currently developing a brand new project for Convendum at Drottninggatan 29. The office will be nearly 5,000 square metres and should be available in summer 2023. It’s also in a fantastic location, right in the middle of the government district, and includes a very cool terrace,” says Oskar Sköld.

The new plans can be seen as further proof of the success of the collaboration. Both Oskar Sköld and Oscar Limbäck agree that Kungsgatan 9 is just the start of a long relationship.

“Considering the size of the construction project and all the things that could have gone wrong, it’s been incredibly simple and painless,” says Oscar Limbäck at Convendum. “We identified a common vision early on. And Fabege really cares – they are with us all the way. Now the question is more: what will we do when Drottninggatan is finished? What will be our next project?”