A Performance-focused Workspaces with Wellness Facilities for Small Businesses in Cologne.

After years of offices attempting to replicate the comfort of home, a new direction is emerging. Valentyns, launching in Cologne, Germany, presents a next-generation office model that makes high-design environments accessible to small and mid-sized businesses—delivering the kind of quality previously reserved for global corporations.

The vision of entrepreneur Ferdinand Stahl, realised in collaboration with architect Thomas van den Valentyn, Valentyns draws on workplace research from companies like Google and Microsoft, who’ve long understood that investing in design and amenities delivers tangible financial benefits. By managing every operational detail—from logistics to administrative decisions—Valentyns removes friction, allowing members to focus entirely on growing their business.

Located in a 1960s building overlooking the River Rhine, the space spans over 2,100 square metres and offers 43 private offices, a wellness floor, and six bookable meeting rooms. At street level, a restaurant and terrace create a natural hub for connection. Membership is capped at around 150 people, a strategic choice based on Dunbar’s Number, fostering a close-knit community where meaningful relationships drive collaboration.

A Neighbourhood Lobby: Denizen House in Berlin by Modiste Studio.

Conceived as a “members club for non-members”, a combination of interstitial amenities reflects lessons from Modernist architecture, Eames, Kreuzberg’s vintage furniture and materials’ textural qualities.

“As Adolf Loos said, ‘Every change that is not an improvement is a deterioration. This philosophy shaped our design.” — Thomas van den Valentyn

“Our vision was never just to build a workplace, but to create a modern tool that gives ambitious companies a competitive edge,” Ferdinand Stahl explains. “Better tools lead to better outcomes, and the office should be no exception.”

For van den Valentyn—known for the Beethoven Chamber Music Hall in Bonn and the Max Ernst Museum in Brühl—Valentyns offered an opportunity to apply architectural precision on a more personal level. At the entrance, a sleek Gneiss stone plinth serves as the front desk, setting the tone from the very beginning. Office floors flood with natural light, softened by cool pastel tones and clean lines that showcase design icons: USM Haller desks, Fritz Hansen Series 7 chairs, Thonet pieces, Eileen Gray’s E1027 side table, and Lampe Gras lighting.

Interior blinds create a subtle interplay between natural and artificial light, while acoustic panels optimise sound performance. The signature van den Valentyn touch—right-angled LC2 Le Corbusier chairs—blurs the line between work and social spaces.

Silversquare Central: Brussels Coworking Space Designed by 12 Architects & Artists, Curated by Maniera.

Known for never playing it safe, Maniera recruited twelve progressive architects and artists to deconstruct the theme of a co-working space through their own artistic language across this 6,000 sqm interior.

“As Adolf Loos said, ‘Every change that is not an improvement is a deterioration,'” van den Valentyn notes. “This philosophy shaped our design. At Valentyns, every element is intentional, functional, and focused on lasting wellbeing.”

A standout feature is Valentyns’ commitment to longevity and employee wellbeing. Amenities include a Finnish sauna, infrared sauna, custom ice bath, treatment room for HydraFacials and IV drips, Technogym-equipped gym, and Byredo products. Since moving in, members have reported a 30 per cent reduction in sick days—a clear indicator of the impact of a health-focused workplace.

A concierge service manages daily details, from catering to wellness bookings, removing distractions. Over the next few years, co-founders Ferdinand Stahl and Yossi Levi will expand Valentyns to new sites in Germany, followed by the UK.

The Tallest Mass Timber Office Building in London by Waugh Thistleton Architects & Daytrip.

Designed to be recyclable so that it can be taken apart and put back together, there’s more to this Shoreditch building than its LEGO-ish nature. At 17.8 metres high, it’s the tallest mass timber office building in central London.

[Images courtesy of Valentyns. Photography by Felix Speller. Thomas van den Valentyn’s portrait by Marc Krause.]