With spring and summer often comes change, and this is true even at Helio. Malin Arestål has stepped in as a new Site Manager for Helio GT30. A new face for many in the building, but a very known face under the Helio umbrella. We took the pulse on Malin and talked about GT30 and the future visions of the building, as well as finding out if what the spring birds have told is is true regarding a potential Hawaiian Tropic-win.
Hello Malin! Let’s cut to the chase! You have previously been Site Manager at Helio Hornstull and Helio Kungsholmen, how does it feel to be at GT30?
So much fun! It’s exciting and challenging. The most fun has been meeting all the members.
So if I say the word Helio, what do you say?
A place where happy and productive people meet and collide. A place where a lot of work gets done.
You have a background with a lot of years in the service industry, has it always been your passion?
Yes! I have basically been in service for my whole life. Bars, hotels and restaurants. I think it stands completely out of my enormous interest in interacting and spending time with people.
With a new layout comes hundreds of new faces and members. How does it feel to start all over again from that point of view, but in a company that you know so well?
I have actually been running this building since 2012 when it was called Summit, so I know it fairly well! Despite the fact that there has been big remodelings and an entirely new feeling and orientation, I feel like the soul of the building is still the same. It feels nice to be back, I feel safe here. I really like the premises and the exciting people that are now filling out the building. It has always been a house full of possibilities, but now I feel like we are really aiming at the building’s full potential.
If you were to differentiate between the differences between the three different layouts, how would you describe them?
Each and everyone sure has their own little niche. Hornstull is very charming and with an amazing courtyard where we’ve had countless events with a big aim at culture in various forms. A lot of music and art. Kungsholmen is more of a media mecha, you can feel it in the walls. It is not in the DN-building for no reason! There we have made big changes and invested in more studios and coworking spaces, a brand new podcast studio.
Speaking of changes, I can tell you that we are closing down Helio Hornstull in order to give it a complete makeover. I am very excited to see the results. We will cut down on the number of meeting rooms and re-build it from the ground, like the community we want it to be. More focus on the members and coworking spaces. We will also build a lot of new studios that will be up for grabs as soon as the gates open this fall. (Read more about Helio Hornstull here!)
What would you say are the most important factors in order to create a creative coworking space?
Environment and design are important factors. Having different types of spaces, workrooms, and lounges where the opportunities to work and interact socially are given. Good coffee! But in the end, what is most important is the people that are here.
We know that a lot of things are happening at GT30 right now, what is the most fun?
I am really pumped up about our new cocktail bar, A Bar Called Gemma, which will be opened under the direction of Johan Evers. After that, I am very happy about all the changes that have happened at Penny & Bill. The restaurant is now shaped around the members and functions more like an alternative workspace. You are supposed to be able to sit there and work, eat an omelet, have a bun, maybe even a wine lunch or take meetings inside the restaurant. I love the new atmosphere that has risen, both in the restaurant and in the kitchen.
We have gotten an entirely new chefs crew inside Penny & Bill, what do you think are the most exciting changes regarding the menu?
It is such nice energy among the people working with the bubbly Sergio in charge. A new menu with so many of my favorite dishes. Being able to eat cooked food from 07-20 every day feels like the optimal thing for our members.
Helio has the ambition to make you love Mondays. What does a magic Monday look like for you?
I like Mondays since it’s a chance for a fresh start and a way to start over. I like to take my time on Monday morning, eat a good and healthy breakfast, get ready for the week and arrive early at work. I also love to take a lot of meetings on Mondays. You’re fast in the head and get inspiration for the rest of the week with a lot of energy left from the weekend.
Our members consist of a never-ending mix of professions and personalities that together create what we like to call the soul of the house. What is the biggest advantage of having so many people under the same roof?
It becomes this lovely dynamic between the members and a mix of competences which makes us stronger together, everything together in the same building. Not just professionally, but it also gives a good foundation for social bonds and friendships. The different businesses and people give the place dynamics – mixed with all the lovely people who work at Helio.
Finally, Malin, we have heard that you have won Miss Hawaiian Tropic. Is that true? Tell us everything!
It’s just a tale that has become true. Maybe.
Thank you, Malin!
If you are curious to talk more with Malin about Helio GT30, get a guided tour or try to give it a try, you are more than welcome to send us a cheerful e-mail to malin.arestal@helio.se. Don’t forget to follow Helio on Instagram via @wearehelio for constant updates, events, and lectures!
