The Third Space

The Terminal (via japantrends.com)

I often find myself in a weird situation. I wake up, go to work and eight hours later I've done a ton of things. Meetings, phone calls, a bazillion emails. I've bumped into people. Explained things using funny geometric shapes on a whiteboard while trying not to think about all the things I really should have been doing. Because of all those unplanned yet necessary distractions, that mental todo list is usually nowhere close to being done when my workday wraps.

But there is this one place where I can focus, relax and get things done. Airport Lounges. Sure, some are old, crowded and lack the proper ambience. But let's focus on the ones where they nailed things, places such as the Asiana Business lounge at Incheon.

Now, there are a couple of reasons why I enjoy getting work done in those lounges. I can get myself a diet coke and some food, no fancy stuff but enough to keep me going without getting hungry. Magazines and newspapers let my mind drift away for a few moments when I need a break. And when the time comes to get rid of that diet coke l can leave my laptop in plain sight for a couple of minutes. The ambience is usually quite nice too. Views of the tarmac, people roaming around and it's quiet enough for my earphones to keep most of the chatter away while serving up some decent Japanese technopop (in case you're wondering – Polyrhythm by Perfume is a good place to start).

By their very nature, these lounges are available whenever I'm on my way from A to B. But what about all those days when I'm not transiting through Toronto on my way to London, waiting for the 11.20pm flight to start boarding? The days when I'm just going to work. Sure, I could go to a café or some other random place at a healthy distance from my office and I do, all the time, but it doesn't quite cut it. I want that third space. A place that's not work, not home, not a café, but something else.

Seems someone had a similar thought. A few months ago, The Terminal opened in Harajuku, Tokyo. A couple of stylish floors with open spaces, meeting rooms, food, drinks, magazines and books. Basically a nice airport lounge. Without the airport. Membership required. It's all I ever wanted, really. Too bad it's about 5,090 miles away.

Come to think of it, I need to book another business trip. To Japan.

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Looking for more info on The Terminal? Japan Trends has a really good post with pics and details.