Take Flight: The Wing, a women-focused workspace, opens in Los Angeles
Author:Abigail StoneAudrey Gelman was frustrated. The consultant, heading to meetings in Washington D.C. from New York, wanted a place where she could freshen up between appointments, do a little work, charge her phone, maybe even take a shower. Lauren Kassan also longed for a similar respite; she was also interested in place where she could connect with other working women. The two teamed up. The result was The Wing, a women-focused co-working and community members club. With multiple locations in New York, Chicago, Georgetown and San Francisco, the now 8000-strong organization, founded in 2016, recently unveiled a branch in West Hollywood with plans to open Boston later this spring and, later this summer, their first international spot, in London.
Laetitia Gorra, the Wing’s Senior Interior Designer, in collaboration with interior designer Chiara de Rege and architect Alda Ly, envisioned the 11,000 square foot space, which includes a sprawling 2,000 square foot terrace with wrap-around views of the Hollywood Hills, as an homage to the historic glamor of Southern California.
Located in the heart of West Hollywood, on a bright corner of Santa Monica Boulevard near La Cienega, a black and white checkerboard terrazzo floor leads from the parking lot into the reception area whose front desk is covered in Christina Celestino’s stunning shell-motif tiles, a theme that waltzes throughout the space.
Curvaceous upholstered furniture, bathed in a range of sherbet tones, paired with pale wood tables and desks, wash the space with a soothing and restful air during the day.
At night the pieces can be reconfigured to accommodate the club’s many events and workshops, ranging from support groups to salary negotiation workshops to panel discussions (a quick glance at the first month of programming, which includes events showcasing actresses Jessica Alba & Gabrielle Union to Chef Samin Nostrat and comedian Margaret Cho; to support groups for working parents; business development and financial planning workshops; workout classes with Outdoor Voices and Alo Yoga; intros to coding and car maintenance; and networking and community happy hours and breakfasts, is almost overwhelming). An exhibition of rotating artworks by women-identifying artists is peppered throughout the space. In keeping with The Wing’s mission of economic advancement, all of the pieces are available for purchase.
Women running between meetings who may not have the time to go home will appreciate the locker rooms with its spacious showers, backlit mirrored primping stations, stocked with products from CHANEL and other women-owned brands, and ergonomically-designed chairs. There’s even a private pumping station.
In the main room, choose from a variety of spots: stand-up desks, long communal tables, club chairs paired with work-height side tables, or comfortable conversation pits. Call booths, christened after inspirational women — C.J. Cregg from The West Wing, Lydia Deetz from Bettlejuice and Dora Marquez of Explorer fame, title three of them — offer private spaces for calls while a quiet room and a conference room are other workspace options.
Of course, no club would be complete without a dining area. Free drip coffee, provided by Equator, is always available and there is a menu of dishes, created by a who’s who of female chefs in California, from Nancy Silverton to the Sarahs of Kismet. The majority of purveyors and vendors are also women-driven as is the drinkware, by California-based Year & Day.
The Wing West Hollywood, 8550 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA. Click here to apply for membership.
