If you’re looking for the best open plan offices London has to offer, this guide covers everything you need to know. From benefits and drawbacks to where to find open-plan workspaces in the capital, consider this your one-stop resource.
Open plan offices are here to stay — but they’ve evolved. When Mark Zuckerberg commissioned Frank Gehry to design the “largest open-plan office in the world” for Meta’s HQ in San Francisco, it marked a new era for office design. His aim? A single, vast space where thousands of employees could collaborate seamlessly.
Fast forward to 2025, and London is brimming with modern, spacious offices — from converted warehouses to sleek skyscrapers like The Shard and The Cheesegrater — ideal for businesses that thrive on collaboration and flexibility.
What is an open plan office?
What are the benefits of open plan offices?
What are the drawbacks of open plan offices?
Are open plan offices cheaper to rent?
How to find an open plan office in London
Are open plan offices here to stay?
What is an open plan office?
An open plan office is a workspace that removes internal walls in favour of large, shared spaces. The traditional cubicle is replaced by a more flexible, flowing layout.
While early open offices resembled factory floors, today’s versions often blend collaborative desks, breakout zones, quiet booths, and creative communal areas—all under one roof.
What are the benefits of open plan offices?
Flexible Use of Space
Open layouts are highly adaptable. Whether you’re restructuring departments, growing your team, or shifting to hybrid work, the flexibility of open space makes it easy to rearrange zones without structural changes.
Natural Light and Wellbeing
Removing internal walls lets daylight flow through the entire space. A study by Northwestern University found employees exposed to more natural light enjoy better sleep, mood, and productivity.
Enhanced Collaboration
By breaking down physical barriers, teams communicate more easily. This leads to faster decision-making, increased creativity, and a stronger sense of culture and connection.
Cost-Effective
Open plan offices are typically cheaper to build and rent. They also reduce costs related to heating, lighting, and air circulation thanks to improved environmental flow. They’re ideal for businesses using hot desking or hybrid models, where not all employees need a dedicated workstation.
What are the drawbacks of open plan offices?
Noise and Distractions
Without walls, conversations and calls can be disruptive. Many offices now adopt “headphones = do not disturb” norms or offer soundproof booths for deep work.
Reduced Privacy
Lack of private space can be a challenge for confidential conversations or focused tasks. The best modern open offices include meeting rooms, quiet pods, and breakout zones to give teams choice and control over how they work.
Are open plan offices cheaper to rent?
Generally, yes. Open plan layouts are more affordable than traditional segmented offices, both in terms of build-out and ongoing operational costs.
You’ll also find more flexible pricing models—especially in coworking environments—where you can rent desks or areas month-to-month. Hubble has open plan office desks in London starting from under £100 per month.
How to find an open plan office in London
Finding your perfect space is easier than ever. Platforms like Hubble let you filter by:
- Open plan layout
- Price per desk
- Location (e.g. Shoreditch, Canary Wharf, Soho)
- Amenities (e.g. meeting rooms, bike storage, dog-friendly)
Whether you’re a freelancer after a part-time desk or a growing startup needing room to expand, there are thousands of open plan workspaces in London to choose from.
Are open plan offices here to stay?
Open plan isn’t going anywhere — but it’s evolving. With rising rents, flexible work patterns, and employee wellbeing taking centre stage, “activity-based working” is becoming the new normal. This means offering a range of work zones — from open desks to private pods and collaborative lounges.
As Jeremy Myerson of the Royal College of Art puts it, the future is about choice and balance: “We’re moving towards environments where people can choose the best setting for the task at hand.”
Even Google’s new King’s Cross office reflects this, with quiet zones, nap pods, and modular meeting rooms woven into an open layout.
