THIRD SPACES ARE BACK, FOURTH SPACES ARE IN, JUST ASK THIS CHESS CLUB
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Last week at The Echo Chamber, we brought you the results of our Generation Unhappy Survey. Our research surfaces Gen Z respondents longing for third and fourth spaces to reconnect with everyday connections in an era defined by technology.
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Image Source: @kwimoh Instagram |
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“I want to see more investment in community and infrastructure: there seems to be no third spaces left for young people to enjoy themselves on a budget as government infrastructural funding mainly caters to commercial spaces.”
– Gen Z Respondent, Dazed’s Generation Unhappy Survey 2025 |
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This week, we spoke to Koji Dwimoh of CsCb Chess Club, based in Brixton, to figure out why young people are finding joy in this historic game.
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BUT FIRST, WHAT IS A THIRD SPACE?
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Image Source: Mancunian community-led creative hub, Altogether Otherwise, Dazed |
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A third space - or, as it was originally described, a “third place” - is a concept introduced by sociologist Ray Oldenburg to describe informal, public gathering places that exist outside of home (the "first place") and work (the "second place"). Third spaces are open, accessible and informal environments that facilitate conversation and social interaction.
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A fourth space is a hybrid, immersive, or digital environment that extends beyond home, work, and social hubs - fostering personal growth, virtual connection, or alternative community engagement.
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Image Source: The Wheatley Institute 2024 |
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From the loneliness epidemic to using AI chatbots as our therapists, it's plainly evident that we are in need of more community-centred connection. Young people are redefining where they connect, collaborate, and express themselves. Physical third and digital fourth spaces are essential for creativity, activism, intimacy and belonging in a world increasingly played out online.
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THIRD SPACES CAN BE TOOLS FOR SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC INTEGRATION...
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Socio-economically, studies show that third spaces boost local economies, and could also work to reduce economic disparities in marginalised populations. A 2023 U.S. study classified that third spaces were “opportunity structures,” and that higher poverty rates were associated with fewer of them.
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A CLOSER LOOK AT ONE RISING THIRD SPACE:
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Image Source: @serena_rich55 via Medium |
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CsCb Chess Club which meets weekly on a Wednesday evening in Brixton, gets people from different communities to come together and play.
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“Chess is a game,” Founder Kojo Dwimoh says, “where you’re forced to focus, you’re forced to take time, be patient. There’s no compromise, you have full accountability around your actions, and I feel like that’s something that’s lacking in today’s society.” |
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HOW CHESS CLUBS ARE NEW SPACES FOR YOUTH: AN INTERVIEW WITH
KOJO DWIMOH
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Image Source: Dazed Studio |
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Dazed Studio: Why did you start CsCb Chess Club, and how did it come about? What's the story?
Kojo Dwimoh: CsCb came about in April 2023. Me and my friends found ourselves not meeting up too much. The only time we'd meet up was to go out and have a night out. And we found our friendship dwindling into a place where it was very superficial, it was very surface level. So, we set one day a week to meet up at a chess club every Wednesday, and I saw our friendships blooming… I saw something which was so beautiful, this group of young Black boys just really immersed in chess, playing intense games whilst also being loud in the corner. The incentive is to demolish the preconceived notions about [chess] being a game which is for grand masters.
Dazed Studio: How do you think third spaces in general can be remedies for the kinds of issues young people face today?
Kojo Dwimoh: I think there is a remedy for young people with third spaces when the intention is to build an in-person community rather than a community where the incentive is to just get clicks and likes on TikTok. There was no social media for the first year of CsCb. It was purely word of mouth, where you found out about it if a friend told you about it. To this day, you don't get the address unless you tell a friend to tell a friend, because you can trust a friend, and that creates community.
Dazed Studio: What do you think people like about coming to play chess on a Wednesday? What skills do they gain?
Kojo Dwimoh: At CsCb you're almost forced into an environment where you're separated from your friendship group, and to sit opposite someone new and get to know them before you even start playing chess. That kind of eye-to-eye, I can smell your breath, kind of thing. Really close. It's like becoming human again, because we're trying to escape being chronically online if that makes sense, from URL to IRL.
Dazed Studio: Do you think that's something that young people care most about now; trying to escape online and the offline movement?
Kojo Dwimoh: It's only when you put in front of them that they realise how chronically online they are, and they're like, this is what we're meant to be doing. We're not meant to be cocking our necks up, looking at our phones.
Dazed Studio: How do you approach the topic of collaborating with brands?
Kojo Dwimoh: When it comes to brands I think that's all about just leverage. They need to come to you in an authentic way. If you’re a brand, what is your actual incentive, and are you actually coming to us in a genuine way to enable our community, rather than through just a gesture.
Dazed Studio: Third spaces are threatened by different challenges. How do you want to sustain CsCb? Where do you see it going?
Kojo Dwimoh: I see CsCb being the biggest and best chess club in the world. 10 years from now, you should have the next grand masters coming out of Brixton, whether they be Black or white.
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THE OPPORTUNITY FOR BRANDS
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“When it comes to brands I think that's all about just leverage. They need to come to you in an authentic way. If you’re a brand, what is your actual incentive, and are you actually coming to us in a genuine way to
enable our community."
Kojo Dwimoh |
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As the future of physical retail is put into question, we need to reframe the way we think about shopping in-store. MIT Sloan has reported that Gen Z are crucial to the continued existence of brick-and-mortar stores. As people crave more in-person daily encounters, in-person experiences, as opposed to online, present a golden opportunity. Sure, I could buy my new Levi’s from the comfort of my sofa, but what if I enjoy small talk with the girl in front of me in the queue to the fitting rooms? What if I’d like to boulder in the latest Arc’teryx collection, or virtually race in a new McLaren car?
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Recently famed for its Miu Miu Summer Read pop-up collaboration last summer - which spotlighted three global female authors: Alba de Céspedes, Jane Austen, and Sibilla Aleramo, Daikanyama T-Site is a cultural complex in Tokyo centred around the renowned Tsutaya Books. It blends a bookstore, café culture, boutique retail, and event spaces, offering a seamless mix of analog and digital experiences.
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ComplexCon is a niche fourth space catering to hype culture, sneakerheads, and streetwear enthusiasts. It offers limited drops, influencer interactions, and real-time digital activations that blend fashion, tech, and lifestyle branding. It has facilitated collaborations such as Takashi Murakami x Perrier (2021), and Atmos x Nike (2023), as well as launching New Balance sneakers with musician Joe Freshgoods via an interactive activation.
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Our very own fourth space Dazed Club allows us all to connect and support emerging creatives worldwide. You’re given the chance to share your portfolio, network to discover potential collaborative opportunities, and find a community of like-minded individuals! We regularly highlight our members' work through the Dazed Club Spotlight, a monthly series showcasing up-and-coming talent from the community.
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