Hasta La Ideas

The Wing, a co-working club designed for women, has created a “chic oasis” at its location in New York’s Soho for members to leave their children while they work.

Newly opened, The Little Wing at the space just off Mercer Street is a kids’ area supervised by certified child minders, nicknamed “Wing-sitters”. The facility also includes programmed events, such as classes for art, music and movement, and open hours for parents to play.

It is the latest extension of services provided by The Wing, which was established to offer a mix of open-plan and private workspaces – as well as programmed events like talks and film screenings – all designed for women.

The Wing’s in-house interiors team, led by Laetitia Gorra and Nicola Kehoe, designed the new nursery area to be a playful take on the style it has rolled out to several locations across the US. This typically includes a homey aesthetic, “Wing pink” hues and eclectic furnishings.

“When conceptualising The Little Wing, we looked for pieces that were both beautiful and functional, while also aesthetically aligned with The Wing’s decor – modern and minimalist,” The Wing told Dezeen.

“All elements combined make The Little Wing a chic, yet comfortable oasis, for both little ones and their families to gather.”

Located on the fourth floor of the club, The Little Wing has a pink reception area with a curved, ribbed desk that resembles the white version fronting the main space.

This time, however, the team has given the tubular shapes purple, pink and orange tones, picking up the hues of The Little Wing logo that adorns the wall behind the desk. The lettering reads “LiTTLE”, and is arranged as a jumbled puzzle in between “THE” and “WING”.

Also in the reception area, a dark pink floral trim decorates the edge of two arched nooks, which host merchandise for sale. These include matching “Rebel Raiser” and “Rebel Rising” parent and child tops.

Glazed doors that front the main area are covered in shuffled letters that read “play room”.

Inside, this space is decorated in soft green and pink tones, and blue gridded rugs. A colourful mural decorating one of the longer walls comprises The Little Wing logo interspersed with shapes like arches, circle and clouds with eyes.

“The space incorporates design aesthetics across the spectrum, with foundations in neutral tones and natural elements in durables styles meant to last,” The Wing said. “Building on those basics, pops of colour and mixed materials were sprinkled in to create an elevated yet imaginative environment.”

A mini library splits the room into two areas, with the entire space decorated with furniture and toys from children’s brand Crate and Kids.

Chairs and circular tables with wooden legs and white tops are placed on one side, while a more informal area is located on the other. Here, pink bean bags, a fluffy white rug and small armchairs are suited to story time.

“The toys curated for this collection appeal to all ages and prioritise functionality to encourage unlimited exploration and imagination,” said The Wing.

In the corner is a black and white, French-style cafe called Le Cafe. Kids can pretend to serve hot drinks, and goodies like croissants and pastries.

There is also a small stage with toy musical instruments for children to perform, while other details include cloud-shaped mirrors, a blackboard for drawing and large cuddly toys.

Intended to separate The Wing from competing co-working spaces across the world, The Little Wing offers a solution to a child-care issue that architects Billie Tsien and Rozana Montiel have highlighted as prohibitive for women’s career progression.

In a similar scheme, the Big and Tiny co-working space that recently launched in Santa Monica offers members on-site childcare.

Founded in 2016, The Wing launched its first space in New York’s Flatiron neighbourhood and then quickly expanded to outposts in Soho and Dumbo. The brand now has locations in Washington DC, San Francisco and Los Angeles, and plans to open clubs in Europe.

The Wing’s expansion mirrors the rapid growth of other workspaces and clubs geared towards women – Seattle’s The Riveter, Toronto’s Make Lemonade, London’s AllBright have all opened in recent years.

Photography is by Emily Gilbert.

The post Women-focused co-working club The Wing opens The Little Wing children’s playroom appeared first on Dezeen.