Navigation Square in Cork is the location for Iconic Offices’ first foray outside of Dublin, with the Dublin flexible workspace company opening a 14,000 sq ft floor in the development.

According to the company, Cork is the logical next step for Iconic’s expansion outside Dublin.

“A forward-thinking and ever-evolving city, and Ireland’s second-largest economic region, Cork is set to become the fastest-growing city in Ireland over the next 20 years, and will play an essential role as the economic centre of the southern region of Ireland,” it said.

According to Ibec’s HR Update Survey, 62% of respondents intend to implement hybrid working in their organisation, with hybrid working recognised as a competitive advantage for organisations, along with other flexible working practices, which means that Iconic sees plenty of room for expansion in the region during the rest of the decade.

Chief executive Joe McGinley said: “There is clear evidence of increasing demand for flexible workspace solutions in Cork city.

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"This strategic business move has been a work in progress for a number of months, and finding the right property and location for this next step outside of Dublin was essential to the culture and essence of Iconic Offices. 

“When looking at Cork, what really excited us was the phenomenal ecosystem which has organically grown off the back of the great work of many multinationals in the city.

"This hyper-growth has added to an impressive expansion of high-quality colleges, R&D centres, indigenous startups, inbound FDI and culture for innovation.

"We hope to see ourselves as a facilitator for such innovation and growth, and our goal is to embed ourselves into the community of Cork and help this innovation to continue.”

The new office space at Navigation Square has high-end design, floor-to-ceiling windows in every office, views overlooking the River Lee, podcast room and event space, as well as ergonomic sit/stand desks as standard.

Achieving WELL certification across their buildings, where possible, is an integral part of Iconic’s business culture, according to McGinley..

WELL prioritises the wellbeing and productivity of the building users through a carefully certified process that covers aspects from live planting, temperature zone control, and water quality to the building materials and furnishings used in the workspace.

Cork Chamber chief executive Conor Healy stated: “Feedback from our members indicates more and more are returning to the office with different requirements and models to meet a rapidly evolving work environment.

“As Cork continues to grow with significant levels of new investment and expansion activity it is important the necessary business infrastructure is in place to meet this demand. I wish Iconic Offices every success in providing our city with this new, vibrant and innovative workspace.”

The workspace in Cork features showers and drying rooms, a digital coffee dock, bike racks, car parking, locker facilities and changing rooms, and electric vehicle charge points.

The service offering includes private offices, co-working, flexible meeting rooms, and collaborative break-out spaces, providing different ways of working to support modern working needs.

There will also be a community event space, and a podcast room, equipped with microphones, soundproofing, appropriate lighting, and video streaming facilities.

This first Cork workspace follows on 17 locations operated by Iconic Offices in Dublin.

Photo: Joe McGinley (right) and Conor Healy. (Pic: Daragh Mc Sweeney/Provision)