The office block has had its day. But what will replace it? Simon Jenkins

over 3 years in The guardian

Cities emptied by the coronavirus can focus on cultural activities, while the countryside we flee to must be protected
Does a Christian need a church? Does a shopper need a shop? Does an office worker need an office block? We know these places help bring people together and can deepen the experience. But when the coronavirus has passed I believe the truth will be revealed. Technology means that we can perform most of these tasks from anywhere, including home.
After the first lockdown, surveys suggested that the office’s days were numbered. Since the 1990s, the internet has supposedly liberated white-collar workers from their desks, but it has taken a pandemic to truly break the ritual. When the initial lockdown ended in the summer and Boris Johnson ordered the nation back to work, surveys in July reported that most workers wanted to split their time between working at home and in the office. Even so, there was an assumption that most businesses would eventually return to almost pre-pandemic practices. Continue reading...

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