ING Direct opened it’s fourth Italian branch in the city of Milan. Designed by Newtone Architects, the space is created in a way to facilitate the relationship with the customer and to facilitate the operations that he/ she can play in autonomy or assisted by a consultant for other banking products & services. The bank which has been visualized as a store is designed with no no doors, no curtains or doors closed and no employees behind a desk. Instead everything is visible and transparent giving it a personal and warm feel. The bank appears to be like a store where you are welcomed by the friendly salesman who would sit by your side like a friend and advise to pick up the best product as per your requirements.
The highlighting feature of this 4800 square feet bank is a pumpkin shaped consultation pod which is 13 feet in length and 8 feet in height installed right in the centre. Is it designed by Marco Michele Rossi, the creative architect who is the author of many other successful concept in the banking and retail industries. The furniture is characterized by it’s curves, highly glossy finish, bold & bright colours and a sense of rhythm.
Besides focussing on pure aesthetics, the bank is entirely paperless. The waiting areas are provided with numerous iPad with which you can browse the newspaper, read a magazine or see the weather forecast. A scanner is installed at several locations to scan documents without any need to make hard copies. Pay stations and ATM’s have been installed inside the bank to make life easier for customers who can simply withdraw cash, deposit cheques, or carry out other transactions without having to stand in a queue. Each and every transaction is recorded immediately on to the bank’s systems.
“Create from scratch a network of bank branches all over the Italian territory is in itself quite a challenge……..but do so in a very short time, using a totally innovative concept, gaining ongoing the location of work and radically reorganizing its office in Facility Management requires you to marry creativity, competence and determination. ” – says Louis Aloi, Managing Director of Newtone Architects
“Everything comes from a memory of early childhood, the perceived mood while sitting in the soundboard of an upright bass, violin maker in the workshop of a friend. Scent of old wood and beeswax, protection, warmth and silence harmony. I thought of a space that communicates the feel of a soundboard, where we feel protected and reassured by the complexities of every day.
The space ING Direct back to the naturalness, the radiance of acceptance, the spontaneity of use, linearity and roundness of the shapes, the full integration of the eco-friendly technology. ING Direct brings the customer at the centre of the space: a brand that cares for you, communicates trust and security, with interaction, relationship and active dialogue ” – says Creative director of Newtone Architects
