Happiness economy
Experiences that offer emotional uplift are prioritized by a generation seeking comfort and support.
Fourth spaces
Hospitality is moving beyond the transactional third space to build culturally resonant communities rooted in shared meaning.
- Published Date
- Oct 28, 2026
Driven by an innate need for belonging, people are actively seeking physical environments that foster genuine togetherness. Data from VML Intelligence’s Future 100: 2026 report reveal, 65% of people believe community is more important than one individual and 75% agree being social is part of wellbeing. This shift away from fleeting, everyday interactions toward deeper, more intentional community bonding is giving rise to a new category of venues known as fourth spaces.
To understand fourth spaces, look to the first three: the first is the home, the second the office or school, and the third is a venue for casual social interactions such as cafés, gyms or parks. The fourth is where deep belonging or shared meaning can be found. Cristina Mateo, associate dean of the IE School of Architecture and Design, tells VML Intelligence there is an urgency for these environments. “I think fourth places are becoming more relevant now than ever because we need to fight the pandemic of loneliness,” she says.
I think fourth places are becoming more relevant now than ever because we need to fight the pandemic of loneliness
A defining feature of fourth spaces is “relational intent” meaning they must allow for interaction, provide a sense of belonging, and offer opportunities to co-create. “The belonging comes from that sort of engagement,” Matteo explains. “People will want to belong, they don’t want to feel isolated, and therefore, the way to foster engagement, co-creation, and community is by having that sense of understanding.”
One such curated membership community and fourth space has been bustling since October 2025 in Toronto. Pluto is designed to reshape “the future of connection through collective growth, intentional relationships, and a co-created experience.”
Pluto, Toronto
Adam Lewis, co-founder and CEO of Pluto, tells VML Intelligence that society is grappling with the lingering effects of radical isolation, often driven by a superficial digital landscape. “We are beings built for belonging, built for connection, not for isolation and individualism,” Lewis says. To combat this, Pluto focuses on shared passions over sheer membership numbers. “We’re prioritizing depth over breadth,” Lewis explains. Noting that true belonging does not come from mere repetition or frequency, but rather the diversity of experiences where people can co-create, he adds: “This idea of shared experiences is that foundation of belonging.”
Pluto’s physical space is modular to “reduce friction for creation and sharing,” allowing the venue to transform from a coworking hall to a dance party in under and hour. “Naturally, the design of the space evolved into what just felt like designing a giant shared living room,” Lewis says. This setup empowers members to actively co-create their experiences and cultivate a living community.
Lotus Realm, London
In London, Lotus Realm describes itself as “a contemporary Chinese aesthetic ‘Fourth Space’—a harmonious blend of tea, cocktails, art and social connection.” The slick space opened in May and encourages discovery, conversation and community via its events, art and design, while putting tea at the heart of everything. Meanwhile, in Hội An, Vietnam, My Living Room has the ambition to create a fourth space with a community of 20 people to help shape what it says is “Not a café. Not a cowork. Something better.”
Lewis emphasizes a return to human-centric design for brands looking to adopt a fourth space model. “In this AI age and this digital age, where it's constantly thinking about efficiency and optimization, how can we just tap deeper into these unrealized parts of what makes us human?” he asks. Rather than rushing toward scale and replicability, the future of hospitality and retail lies in transforming transactional brick-and-mortar hubs into culturally resonant communities.
