STABLES, the newest co-working space in Cluj-Napoca, opened within Record Park

The stables of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which in the past also housed a Romanian textile factory, and which are about 200 years old, have been brought back to life and transformed into a modern office space for entrepreneurs and companies looking for not just an office space, but also for a competitive community and service mix.

With an area of approximately 1,000 square meters, the Stables building has a ground floor and first floor, offering a generous networking space consisting of a kitchen, a lounge, and access to an indoor garden, a conference center, hot-desking areas, dedicated offices and private offices.

The space was primarily designed for private offices, allowing a flexible configuration up to a maximum of 20 people, but also offices for two to seven people. Another major component located on the ground floor is the area dedicated to socializing and organizing events, which incorporates a conference center that can accommodate up to 50 people. Stables also offers 40 hot-desking places, meeting rooms for 4 or 8 people, phone booths, but also services that describe a complete workspace: security, underground parking, access control both for entering the space, and for closed offices, reception, and protocol service, office supplies, printer and scanner, a modern kitchen, water and coffee and, most importantly, access to a community mix.
Stables is part of the large-scale Record Park project of the real estate developer Speedwell and which, together with The Office, makes up the largest business hub in Cluj-Napoca. Located on 20A Onisifor Ghibu, the project is a mixed one with residential spaces, as well as retail functions and office spaces (in addition to the co-working space, it includes: a restaurant, an open pool with a retractable roof in a sports club, a kindergarten, a café, and a dental clinic, but also a supermarket). The project has obtained a BREEAM certification, the main international method of assessing sustainability for master planning, infrastructure, and building projects.

Out of the desire to maintain a perfect balance between history and present times, the project was a real challenge for the COS Team (Corporate Office Solutions), which was subcontracted to fit out the space, being among the first companies to choose Stables to relocate their Showroom from Cluj-Napoca. COS is part of Office Solutions Group and is a consultant in the field of office space design since 1998, with over 2,000 clients and over 15,000 completed projects in Romania.

“Cluj-Napoca is a city of innovation with a remarkable growth rate, and the Stables project comes to support the local business environment. For these reasons, we relocated the COS Showroom from Cluj-Napoca in Stables. It was a strategic decision, both in terms of space and location, as well as an observation point of people dynamics and different expectations that they have from their workspace. We are always looking to develop projects with a higher degree of customization for our clients”, states Christophe Weller, founder and CEO of Corporate Office Solutions (COS).

“We left our mark on the building and preserved key elements such as cast-iron pillars, brick cladding, or wooden beams. The name Stables emphasizes the blend between the historic building and the new space arranged in the art-deco style, adapted to the needs of the contemporary person, with a functional and technological style. The hub, put into use in September, was designed for the needs of medium and large teams, offers premium facilities and currently has an occupancy rate of approximately 35% “, added Marius Mârza, Managing Partner Stables.

Stables came into existence through an investment of 750,000 euros and in the implementation of the space, were applied  all the principles of the new WELL or Fitwel certification system, which analyze the buildings from the perspective of “well-being ”, the well-being of occupants.

The Architect of the space, Laura Dragomir, explained how the art-deco inspiration elements were integrated, most being designed and executed especially for the new office spaces, to complete the traditional imprint of the building: “We used geometric shapes, stylized and repeatedly combined, prints plants and abstract symbols, pieces of furniture with rounded shapes, combinations of pastel colors and elegant textures”.

“A companion, not just a company” is the slogan that defines the beginning of the co-working space, a space that wants to be a companion for those companies that, on their way to development, need an environment and a space to achieve success.