POD MEETING
by Lee Bee Luen

A constellation of small 'pods' redefines the concept of the traditional business and leisure hub.

Unlike the regular mall or entertainment centre, the new fX Lifestyle X'nter was conceived to combine both business and leisure. This trendy mall, strategically located at the heart of the CBD in Jakarta, seeks to appeal to young working professionals aged 25 to 45. To cater to meetings, the owner's initial brief was simply to design a food court that comprises some private rooms equipped with projectors and Internet connection. However, the designers came up with the idea of having multifunctional private spaces to suit the lifestyle needs of young urban executives. They termed this unique concept of an edgy meeting hub the fPod.

The fPod features 11 meeting rooms or 'pods', of which Pods 5 and 6 are conjoined. Aside from being a novel concept, another special thing about these pods is that each one is designed by a well-known local interior designer. The freedom to design the pods resulted in dynamic and creative spaces, which married aesthetics and function. As Ridwan Kamil, principal of Urbane Indonesia points out, the fPod was "transformed into an art and design gallery which people can use functionally. The coordination between the main architect and 10 designers has created a small forum within this project."

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