By Business & Finance 
Iconic Offices Set to Open First Location Outside of Dublin, in Cork City’s Navigation Square.
Iconic Offices are Ireland’s market leaders in flexible workspace since 2013, offering a range of flexible, design-led workspace solutions across a number of unique locations in Dublin and are now expanding further in 2022 to Cork, their first location outside of Dublin. Aligned with their strategic growth plans and the business’ continued success in H1, Iconic also opened Viscount House in Fitzwilliam Square, Dublin 2, in April this year.
With an already expansive portfolio across Dublin and further growth plans in sight, Cork is the logical next step for Iconic’s expansion outside of 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. As a key driver of regional economic activity in Ireland, with a population of 300,000 in its metropolitan area, and almost double that number of people living within commuting distance of the city, there is evidence of a growing demand for flexible workspace offerings in Cork city. 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.
From global giants to indigenous start-ups and SMEs, Cork has a vibrant entrepreneurial spirit and rich talent base across a variety of industries. Iconic intends to further facilitate this innovative and entrepreneurial spirit and to be a driver of inspiration and business growth for their Cork-based clients.
Located across an entire 14,000 sq. ft. floor in Navigation Square, Iconic Offices Cork is a Grade A WELL v2 Targeted workspace, boasting 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.
Situated in the heart of Cork city’s Business District, Navigation Square is the largest and most significant office space development to be undertaken in the city’s commercial centre. Facing the River Lee, Navigation Square is a fully serviced office development with a central plaza and supporting cafés and facilities. Iconic’s Cork-based members will benefit from its prominent location, along with the building’s vibrant architecture and panoramic views of Cork port and city.
“There is clear evidence of increasing demand for flexible workspace solutions in Cork city.” Says Iconic Offices CEO Joe McGinley.” This strategic business move has been a work in progress for a number of months now, 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, namely Apple, Intel, Pfizer, to name a few. This hyper-growth has added to an impressive expansion of high-quality colleges, R&D centres, indigenous start-ups, inbound FDI and a 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.”
With each one of Iconic Offices’ unique buildings, the design goes far beyond décor and aesthetics to include IT, ergonomics, and facilities, with a strong focus on providing premium workspace and service. Each solution is custom designed for the client depending on their specific needs and challenges, from hybrid working and coworking to bespoke designed Business HQ floors accommodating larger global teams. Every element of the working day has been considered for Iconic’s members, from the chairs and desks they sit at to heat control, air quality, and smart adjustable lighting that adapts to natural light.
Achieving WELL certification across their buildings, where possible, is an integral part of Iconic’s business culture. WELL is the leading tool for advancing health and well-being in buildings globally, helping people to work, live, perform and feel their best. Iconic was the first flexible workspace to be WELL V2 certified in Europe, and they’re now targeted to bring the same WELL V2 certification to Cork, emphasising Iconic’s support of employee well-being. The premises will feature two designated wellness zones, furnished with blankets, reading materials, and seating.
The state-of-the-art flexible workspace in Cork will feature showers and drying rooms, a sleek digital coffee dock, bike racks, car parking, locker facilities and changing rooms, and Electric Vehicle (EV) car charging points. The service offering will include private offices, coworking, flexible meeting rooms, and collaborative breakout space, providing different ways of working to support modern working needs. There will also be a community event space and a state-of-the-art podcast room equipped with microphones, soundproofing, appropriate lighting, and video streaming facilities. Continuing our partnership with Business to Arts, the premises will be decorated throughout with a carefully curated artwork collection showcasing the work of local creative talent. The new location will also feature a Grade A fit-out and high-end professional interiors. The offices will be rich in natural daylight, with floor-to-ceiling windows throughout the premises.
Each office suite and meeting room will be equipped with an intercom system to easily connect to the front-of-house team for assistance. Every office suite will also be fitted with a Smart TV, which can be used to enable video conferencing from the office suite with external colleagues or business contacts or to utilise a presentation facility within the room.
“I came to Cork 15 years ago and fell in love with this city.” Says Jason Sleator, recently appointed Commercial Area Manager at Iconic Offices in Cork. “It has become my home, and I’ve seen it grow from strength to strength since I got here. With my background in hospitality and considering the evolution of how people are working in Cork City in terms of requiring hybrid and flexible office solutions, the opportunity to introduce an established brand like Iconic Offices to the area was exciting and relevant for me to get involved with. Immediately I could see the values I am used to from the hospitality sector being mirrored with those of our founder and CEO, Joe, as well as the wider Iconic team. Customer-first, attention to detail, and five-star service. To bring that to a workspace environment in a thriving city like Cork is something which I truly feel will add value here.”
From lighter financial commitments, flexible payment plans to suit varying budgets to the ability to expand and adapt the workspace setup and services as needed, there are many benefits for businesses choosing a flexible workspace option. Experts in this area, Iconic adapt and grow with their clients, providing a variety of benefits, including extensive customisation and aiding talent attraction through appealing and inspiring workspace and community benefits. Providing their client members with everything from a front-of-house support team, state-of-the-art IT infrastructure, and ergonomic office set ups. Iconic take away the hassle of the day-to-day running of an office so that their clients can focus on other important aspects of their businesses whilst being assured they are in reliable hands.
Consistent with their brand values and design-led approach to flexible workspace, Iconic will continue to creatively challenge the way in which flexible workspace is delivered, including every aspect from function and service, to interiors.
For more information on Iconic Offices’ expansive portfolio of flexible workspace offerings, visit iconicoffices.com
