Fotografiska is Closing: Let's Design the Next Creative, Collaborative Space

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the opportunity to redefine new creative, collaborative spaces —places that invite both interaction and inspiration—for the working world. I believe spaces like this are essential for anyone working with others. Since I work fractionally and don’t have a dedicated office, Fotografiska, a photography museum in the Flatiron District, has become my go-to space for hosting small group meetings and sparking creativity.

Unfortunately, September 29 will be the last day of operation, due in part to high rent costs and requests from artists and visitors to increase the exhibit space size. With Fotografiska closing its doors, I’m left wondering: Where are the next creative spaces that invite both inspiration and collaboration in New York City? 

First let’s unpack with makes this place so great.

Fotografiska is a smashed-up, invented work that combines two ideas at once: Photography and Gathering. They’ve intentionally designed an experience that invites people to enjoy multiple things at once. You can walk in, grab a coffee or wine, explore the museum, or meet with a small group—whether you're perched at a cafe table or in their not-so-secret cocktail bar tucked inside a chapel.

Unlike most museums, Fotografiska’s cafe and gathering space is right in the lobby, which encourages more interactions between cafe-goers and art visitors. The team also encourages this cross-pollination with promotions like adding a glass of wine to your ticket, offering members a free daily happy hour drink, and extended museum hours (they are open until 9pm on weekdays and 11pm on weekends).

Add to this the ease of access of the location (right in the Flatiron District), the stunning architecture (it’s a Romanesque-style mansion, sidecarred next to a chapel), and intrigue of the building itself (it’s the building that the famed wannabe-heiress, Anna Delvey, desperately tried to buy), and you can see why I like it so much. 

When I host meetings at Fotografiska, the flow is simple but dynamic: First, we grab coffee and chat in the cafe, then I invite them to join me on a walk through the museum where we discuss the art and current exhibit. Sometimes, if it’s late in the day, we’ll grab a glass of wine during happy hour. The shift in environment naturally clears mental cobwebs, helping conversations feel more open and creative.

I love how bringing people to the same space regularly expands my own narrative of each exhibit. For example, a few years ago, during a hip hop photography exhibit, everyone I brought added new stories about the artists, which I wove into the story I shared for the next person.

The multi-engagement points—coffee, art, and conversation—unlock a sense of creative freedom that leaves people feeling a little more inspired than when they arrived. Even though I might pretend this is a byproduct of our sparkling conversation, the space carries the load. The triple threat of enjoying coffee, taking in photography, and meeting someone new tends to unlock a little more creative degrees of freedom. 

You can see why I’m so disappointed that it’s closing.

Until Fotografiska reopens elsewhere (date and location details still TBD), I’ll be looking for an alternative creative collaborative space to occasionally engage in-person with colleagues and peers during my work day. Ideally this will invite some elements of interaction, some places to have small conversation, and something else that’s a little fun or quirky about it.

This morning, with a little help of ChatGPT and DALL-E, I conceptualized a few options for the type of creative, collaborative space I'd like to see in NYC sometime soon.

Imagine an atelier-style workspace, like pottery, or other physical goods, which also invites in passers-by in a cafe structure that overlooks a design floor below.

Imagine a library space without the fuss, one that invites small group interactions and maybe even a DJ station (acoustics during the day, something funkier at night).

Obviously I'm all about the urban garden, so let's take this to the next level in a clean air fresh atrium lobby with tiny tuckaway corners for either deep work, or helping out with the weeding.

Lean into the digital with a highly experimental and interactive space, one that invites visitors to both remix and tinker with the displays and also has plenty of space for small-group connections.

There aren't a lot of creative collaborative spaces after hours. I love the idea of inviting people to rooftops after dark, either for a hybrid cafe or bar style setup, or individual creative expression like painting the skyline.

With just a few weeks left, I highly recommend visiting Fotografiska if you haven't yet. And if you want to chat about alternative creative spaces in NYC over coffee, you know where to find me...