People are coming back to Glasgow city centre to work, led by the new trend of hybrid working at multi-purpose venues.
At least that is the claim from The Social Hub, which has just announced that, less than a year after opening, it is now at full capacity with business tenants.
Now there is a waiting list for places in this ‘hub for collaboration, innovation, and hybrid working’, the assertion is that, contrary to rumours of its death, the city centre is in fact alive and well – just doing things differently.
The Social Hub, founded by Scot Charlie MacGregor, now operates more than 20 venues across Europe. The Glasgow venue, which opened in April last year after a £90m investment, is the brand’s first in the UK.
With 222 desks — spanning hot desks and serviced offices — co-working is part of a wider offering that includes a hotel, student accommodation, a restaurant, and eight event spaces, capable of hosting gatherings from two to 180 guests.
General manager Ben McLeod said: “It’s been incredible to see the way Glasgow has embraced The Social Hub.
“From day one, we envisioned this as a space where ideas spark, connections grow, and people come together to create – and that’s exactly what’s happened.
“The overwhelming demand for our co-working spaces and the diverse array of events we’ve hosted show the strength of that vision, as well as reflecting a larger trend of professionals returning to the city centre as hybrid working reshapes how and where people collaborate.”
BAFTA Scotland is the latest high-profile tenant to move into The Social Hub, joining creative businesses like Made Brave, Contagious, Story Shop, and BackPage Press.
“We’re excited to now welcome organisations like BAFTA Scotland and look forward to continuing to support the city’s creative and business communities,” said McLeod.
“With a waitlist now in place, we’re seeing a clear shift in how businesses are rethinking workspaces. We look forward to welcoming more people to join our community, whether they’re here to learn, stay, work or play.”
Another tenant of The Social Hub is HOKO, an architecture firm founded by BBC Scotland’s Home of the Year judge Danny Campbell, who said: “Since founding the company, we’ve been in four different offices, but we’ve finally found our forever home.
“It’s the perfect environment for our team to work in, surrounded by the energy of all the other creative businesses at The Social Hub.
“There’s a lot of talk about working from home, but this is a place people actually prefer to be. The possibilities are endless — we’ve been able to do so much more in one place, hosting everything from intimate client meetings in boardrooms to team dinners in the restaurant, company pool tournaments, and full-scale investor presentations in the auditorium.
“What’s more, you have brilliant, mind-expanding events on your doorstep, and you’re surrounded by other entrepreneurs who challenge, inspire, and broaden your horizons,” said Campbell. “This is how work should be.”
