Working alone sucks – that's precisely why coworking is becoming increasingly popular. And in Munich, too, spaces are springing up on every corner. One example is the Munich coworking space MATES, which has already opened two locations in Munich within just one year. Owner Eva Lichner explains in an interview why MATES wants to be more than just a place to work.
The sign above the entrance door is still missing, which is why many passersby who happen to be at the MATES Come by and find out that a new café has opened on Georgenstraße. The idea isn't entirely unreasonable, as the heart of the new space in Schwabing is a coffee bar in the middle of the large, bright room. But it's not a café, but a new coworking space that has been enriching the neighborhood for a few weeks. True to the motto “work more beautifully” The 350 square meters at Elisabethmarkt are individually and modernly furnished—just like the space on Thierschstraße in Lehel, where it all began a year ago. Owner Eva Lichner attaches great importance to details and to ensuring that MATES members feel comfortable in their work environment.
Accordingly, everyone at MATES can find a workspace wherever they feel comfortable: by the large windows, at the long wooden tables, or even in slightly secluded niches at the rear of the space. And with their modern, individual concept, the creators of MATES seem to have struck a chord: after just one year—after the space on Thierschstrasse became a bit cramped—they have now opened their second coworking space in Munich.
The Schwabing-based MATES offers members a total of 60 workstations: 40 of them in the style of a coworking café—meaning there are no fixed workstations, but everyone can sit wherever they want—and four team offices, which are primarily rented by startups. In addition to the workstations, members also have access to meeting rooms—and, of course, a coffee flat rate! Not only the workstations are flexible, but also the membership packages that can be booked at MATES: From a “Two-Hour Quickie” about a "The Day Man“ Day pass up to a "Resident" Pass with private seat.
But MATES wants to be more than "just" a place to work. And in doing so, it embraces the original idea of coworking: not just working alongside each other, but working together. To network. MATES aims to become the first point of contact for Munich's creative industry, where creative professionals not only know they'll find a place to work, but can also connect with people from their industry. To turn this vision into reality, the creators of MATES have created a Community platform was created to help match freelancers, startups, and agencies. But the networking will continue offline as well: MATES hosts events such as Creative Mornings and Silicon Drinkabout. In the future, the spaces will also increasingly host networking events such as industry-relevant workshops.
So if you think of yourself at your desk in the morning in your home office “This sucks,” He now knows what to do.
Further information about the coworking space MATES can be found here.
