When entrepreneurs Anniken Fjelberg and Joachim Levin successfully exited their companies – respectively a design agency and one of Norway’s first digital agencies – they came across the Eames’ design collective in Venice Beach. They got inspired to create something similar in Oslo, ‘a working space where creative people could collaborate without necessarily being hired by the same company’. In 2012, unaware of the coworking concept yet, they took over a historical building in central Oslo and transformed it into 657 Oslo, the first Creative Collaborative Community in the country.
The early 657 sqm of space (which is where the name originated from) has over the last years expanded into 3500 sqm and has been home to a large assembly of passionate professionals from the creative industries. Reading this, you might think it was all about freelancers. Well, it was not. The people of 657 Oslo have been part of startups and companies working within the design, marketing, film, music, gaming, fashion, architecture or publishing industries.
The workspace has acted as a catalyst for connections and brought the community together in various ways, from informal gatherings around the ping-pong table to content-driven events led by the community itself. To keep the values behind their Creative Collaborative Community intact, curation has always been key.
After 12 years of managing the 3500 sqm working space, we decided to change our strategy and sell the coworking part of our business in 2024. 657 Oslo continued operations focusing on developing programs that support entrepreneurs on their growth journey – as always.
The new venture following this strategic shift is led by Pira Thiru together with his team. For more information, please contact Pira Thiru: mobile: +47 414 43 486 or e-mail: pira@657.no
“We see that staying true to our position and continue helping entrepreneurs grow their businesses, has been key to our success.”