Walk into any office in London, and you already know what you’ll see before you step through the door. The same rows of desks, the same dividing bookcases breaking up departments, the same plant pots—often fake—positioned strategically between workstations. The meeting rooms all follow the same formula: glass walls, usually in the same crittall-style framing, offering just enough transparency to make people feel on display but not enough privacy to actually focus. Then there’s the open-plan kitchen—another near-identical feature in every workspace, complete with minimalist bar stools, a touch screen coffee machine and maybe a neon sign about hustle culture to remind employees why they’re here.

For a city that prides itself on creativity, innovation, and diversity, why do all of its offices look like carbon copies of each other? The answer is simple: companies aren’t designing offices for people—they’re designing them for a corporate checklist. Every workspace is built to a formula dictated by commercial real estate trends rather than what actually makes a productive, engaging place to work. Businesses are obsessed with the idea of a “modern office,” but instead of thinking about how people actually work, they copy whatever is considered trendy. That’s why every company, from finance firms to tech startups, ends up with the same uninspiring, soulless environment.

This uniformity isn’t just about aesthetics—it actively affects the way people feel and work. The artificial lighting, predictable layout, and constant noise from open-plan setups make it difficult for employees to focus. The so-called “collaborative spaces” often double as thoroughfares, meaning conversations are interrupted by people constantly walking past. The same design choices that were meant to foster creativity and teamwork end up doing the opposite: stifling individuality, forcing everyone into the same rigid routine, and making work feel like an endless cycle of repetition.

So when will this change? It’s already happening, whether companies like it or not. The pandemic shattered the illusion that people need to be physically present in a traditional office to be productive. Employees have seen what it’s like to work in spaces that suit them—whether that’s at home, in a quiet café, or in a coworking space with actual variety. They are demanding more from their work environment, and businesses that fail to adapt will struggle to attract and retain talent.

The companies leading the change are already moving away from the copy-paste office formula. They’re designing workspaces that offer flexibility—quiet zones for deep work, comfortable collaborative areas that don’t feel forced, and spaces that actually reflect the company’s identity rather than generic corporate trends. They’re incorporating natural light, different textures, and ergonomic design to create environments where people want to work, rather than feel like they have to be there.

London’s office spaces will change because they have no choice. The next generation of workers won’t settle for a soulless, one-size-fits-all approach to where they spend their time. The companies that refuse to evolve will be left behind, while those that break the mold will define the future of work.