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 is now home to a large assembly of passionate professionals from the creative industries. Reading this, you might think it’s all about freelancers. Well, it’s not. The people of 657 Oslo are part of startups and companies working within the design, marketing, film, music, gaming, fashion, architecture or publishing industries.
The workspace acts as a catalyst for connections and brings 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 is key.
“We see that staying true to our position and continue helping entrepreneurs grow their businesses, is key to our success.”