UK phone boxes to become mini work pods

Mobile phones have rendered the UK's iconic red phone boxes largely redundant, but the mobile lifestyle that they have helped usher in is now seeing them repurposed. New York-based co-working outfit Bar Works is fitting out the phone boxes as mini work pods for people on the go.

Bar Works itself is a relatively new venture, having only opened its first shared office space in October last year. It now has two up-and-running in New York and has plans to open more in Chicago, Boston, San Francisco and London. Whereas those co-working spaces provide a regular space for people to work, though, the firm's new Pod Works venture is aimed at people who are travelling for work and "need a convenient place to work before a meeting or an interview."

Bar Works characterizes Pod Works as an alternative to sitting in cafes to work, where it can be busy, loud and costly to buy a coffee. Membership is set at £19.99 (US$29) per month, which works out at less than buying two cups of coffee from a cafe a week, and gives members access to any Pod Works workstation and to Bar Works facilities around the world.

The pods will feature Wi-Fi, ethernet connections, plug sockets, printers, scanners and free tea and coffee. Access to the pods is provided via a link sent to a planned accompanying mobile app for iOS and users can access the pods at any time of day or night, as required.

Pod Works is due to launch in about eight weeks time, with London, Leeds and Edinburgh being the first planned locations. Bar Works says it intends to grow a network of the work pods across the UK.

Source: Bar Works