Branch Showcase: 12 Concept Designs From Around The World

Here is a collection of fascinating and innovative retail branch concepts from banks and credit unions -- nearly 100 photos of a dozen different projects spanning the globe, from the U.S., Australia, Canada, France, Sweden, Japan, Poland, South Africa, Brazil, Bulgaria and Slovakia.

By Jeffry Pilcher

Published on May 6th, 2013 in Branch Strategies

Westpac – Chalkboard Community

This Westpac branch design in Sydney is part of a cultural change to bring banking "back to a local level." To create community connections at a local level, the design uses three different material palettes. Each palette is specific to the branch’s context — city, suburban or regional — while respecting the history and individuality of each branch building. The Kent Street branch shown here, designed by Landini & Associates, uses the ‘city’ palette.

The unusual chalkboard signage (what Westpac calls"conversation starters") has also been used by State Farm in a crazy, cool community-centric "store" design.

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Conestoga Bank – Bankwerx

Conestoga Bank completely remodeled its Walnut Street branch, turning it into a sleek, open design that eliminates the traditional teller counter… but not the tellers altogether. The new Bankwerx branch features Personal Teller Machines from video banking provider uGenius. Bankwerx is also utilizing uGenius’ SmartOffice to streamline the process for initiating new accounts, closing loans, investments and mortgages — all through real-time video. When a customer is interested in other banking services, including leasing, SBA, or mortgages, they have immediate access to experts using Ugenius SmartOffice technology.

The Bankwerx concept is more than just a branch. It’s "a whole new way of banking," as Conestoga puts it. The bank even made an unconventional microsite to support the initiative.

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ING – Ode to Orange

The new interior standard of ING Bank Slaski outlets in Poland was created by Medusaindustry. The interior has been divided into three access areas significantly facilitating orientation of customers in the bank. Without using the traditional partition walls, the design still manages to separate self-service banking, the customer service zone and support areas. The use of mobile and modular interior elements allows for a flexible arrangement to suite different needs. Other highlights include:

Teller Pods – Box-shaped, modular customer service stations. If needed, the boxes can be discreetly hidden to gain more space (for special functions and seminars).

Meeting Rooms – The design accommodates two different levels of privacy. Semi-private conference spaces are wrapped with sheer orange fabric that can be drawn to create a more intimate setting. Private meeting rooms are still visible from inside the main retail space, but are acoustically separated.

Cool Lamps – Ceilings are covered by custom designed cylindrical lamps tightly adjoining one another. Some lamps are used to deliver marketing messages, with ad images placed at the bottom of the lampshade.

Floor Signage – Wayfinding signage starts by the entrance and takes the form of a branched tree. The starting point says "welcome" and branches out from there, directing visitors to the various zones within the space.

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Skandiabanken – Stockholm Branch Facelift

Skandiabanken, a Swedish bank, gave its Stockholm branch a makeover, courtesy of BVD Design & Branding. It’s a dynamic space with a layout more common in the retail area and rarely seen in the financial sector. The inspiration for the concept was a green house, a place where plants grow and are nurtured.

The branch is multifunctional and set up to be used for different types of meetings. Upstairs there’s a big room for workshops and creative meetings, the light and airy environment can easily be transferred to a lecture hall. There is a "mini meeting place" where children can have fun while their parents are helped by Skandia’s advisers.

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Sugamo Shinkin Bank – Colorful Sticks

The Ekoda branch is the fourth designed by Emmanuelle Moureaux for the Japanese-based Sugamo Shinkin Bank. Every one of their branches is a wondrous display of bright, tangy colors set against a stark white backdrop. The result is a remarkably pleasing and contemporary architectural effect. As the bank puts it, "creating a place the customers feel happy to visit."

The architects deliberately blurred the line between "interior" and "exterior" by creating an open-air seating space with 48 separate colorful sticks linking the two areas (29 outside, 19 inside — all about 30 feet tall). This "rainbow shower" erodes the barrier between "the bank’s space" and "public community space," making for a more inviting experience.

Entering the building, the visitors would notice that they are still in an exterior courtyard leading to the bank’s interior. Here also, the inside and outside are integrated. Walking around the glazed courtyard inside, there is a cafe-like open space filled with natural light. The bamboos in the courtyard extend skyward in concert with the colorful sticks.

The exterior deck space, interior open space, exterior courtyard, and the interior teller counters compose four layers of spaces. The layers are reflected on the glazing, and, combined with complex shadows, they create depth in the space.

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ING Direct Café – Lyon, France

The Financial Brand has long been a fan of ING Direct Cafés. In fact, we’ve written about them not once, not twice, not three times, but at least four separate times. This cafe in Lyon, France was designed by Outsign Architecture.

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Absa – Branch of Tomorrow

ABSA, one of the leading banks in South Africa with a distribution network of 900 outlets and 12 million customers, appointed allen international to develop an innovative ‘Laboratory’ branch at Clearwater Mall in Johannesburg. ABSA wanted to use the branch as a test lab to develop innovative products and processes prior to rolling them out across the entire network.

The new "lab" branch will focus on prototype technology to create a more interactive environment for customers and to test new ways of banking. By creating different customer journeys for Exclusive Banking, Retail Consultants and high-traffic Transactional banking we were able to deliver a more customer centric branch concept.

The main banking space is then used for promotions, community engagement and showcasing the bank’s sponsorship activities. The branch also features innovations such as quick service enquiries, interactive touch-screens and digital communications on a 25-metre-long screen.

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CUA – Branch of the Future (Part II)

Credit Union Australia (CUA), Australia’s largest customer owned financial institution, has opened its second concept branch in Victoria at Epping. The first iteration of this concept was constructed after CUA built a life-size prototype entirely out of cardboard so it could test the look and layout. The main feature is a giant photo wall where customers can post snapshots of themselves, what’s important to them, their local community and events. Photos can be taken and printed on-the-spot in the branch or sent online. The original prototype location includes roaming concierges and an herb wall.

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Helm Bank

Another fascinating project from the financial design gurus at allen international.

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Tatra Bank – Cafe

A concept branch for this Slovakian bank that is 90% cafe, 10% financial institution.

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CIBC

One of the key objectives was to make financial services more tangible so at the heart of the branch was placed a service island with concierge staff  to welcome customers and serve their immediate needs. Concierge staff are also responsible for the promotion and training in the use of alternate channels ie mobile and internet banking.

The service island has an active waiting area with large format digital wall which enables the space to be used for local community events, serving existing customers and attracting new business.

Another project from allen international.

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UniCredit Bulgaria – Branch of the Future

In creating the first concept Branch of the Future in Sofia, Bulgaria, UniCredit partnered with the retail design experts at i-am associates. Features include:

  • Large transparent glass walls that reveal the interior of the branch and what is happening inside, making the space more accessible and inviting.
  • LCD screens instead of the usual advertising posters that cover windows.
  • Attractive night-time illumination and a distinctive logo, making the branch attractive by night as well.
  • A combination of trendy materials and timber, exuding a sense of both coziness and contemporary design.
  • Self-service area, which has a full range of functionalities – a BNA, an online banking kiosk, an interactive wall. The area is available to customers 24 hours a day.
  • Digital queue management system.

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