Convene, the US-founded premium meetings, events, and workspace company, has opened its first ever international location, Convene at 22 Bishopsgate.

Working closely with Convene’s in-house design team, Woods Bagot led on an interior design that reflects Convene’s focus on amenity, hospitality and experience, where it provides its users with an elevated offer, similar to that of a 5-star hotel. Taking into consideration the uniqueness of London, the design was influenced by the concept of the ‘Modern Livery’. Like the Livery companies of the City of London, Convene provides a platform for the creators and the innovators alike.

The finished design shows a mix of traditional architecture, the history of Bishopsgate and the modern cultural influence of local contemporary street artist Ben Eine, bringing together the old and new, the clean and decorative. Shared amenity spaces provide opportunities for chance collaboration, while the large auditorium and meeting suite creates opportunities for large or small functions and events.

With significant change in the workplace market over the last year, Convene continues to provide a one-of-a-kind premium service to its users with leading operating standards. Technology and digital capabilities, as always, have been ingrained throughout the design so that any company using one of these spaces can ensure seamless and wholly flexible ways of working.

Convene is a leading tech-enabled hospitality company, redefining the workplace sector by providing premium meeting, event, and flexible workspace. This project needed to seamlessly introduce the Convene model to the UK market, while creating something that speaks to the City of London.

With 50,000 sq ft set across two levels within 22 Bishopsgate (22BG), Convene wanted to create something that reflected a new way of working. Shared amenity spaces provide opportunities for interaction, while tech-enabled large auditorium and meeting suites create opportunities for hybrid-enabled large and small events, all delivered with a hospitality-infused operation.

Woods Bagot’s design is influenced by the surroundings, especially the concept of the ‘Modern Livery’. Like the Livery companies of the City of London, this space provides a platform for innovators. The finished look is a mix of traditional architecture, the history of Bishopsgate and the modern cultural influence of local contemporary street artist Ben Eine – bringing together old and new, clean and decorative – much like the CoL itself. In addition to weaving in local London history, users are met with an elevated offer, like a 5-star hotel.

Technology and digital capability have also played a fundamental role across the space. The design process started before the impact of 2020, and the W—B team worked in close collaboration with Convene’s design team to make this space more reflective of a rapidly evolving workforce.