Until now, Sparkasse Neunkirchen had a traditional branch in the Saarpark Center, located just a 200-meter walk from its main office.
“Against the backdrop of changing customer behavior and increasing digitalization, we were faced with the question of how to strategically approach the location. A new concept was needed,” said Ulrich Müller, architect for Sparkasse Neunkirchen.
With a focus on the customer, the following goals were defined:
Offering an innovative and customer-friendly range of services to meet customer needs in the areas of service and liquidity in a simple, convenient, and “smart” way (from the “to go” checking account to personal loans)
The SmartLAB concept created a space where the Sparkasse brings the possibilities and future of banking to life. Customers can experience firsthand how easily banking works today and how it will function tomorrow.
For consultations, presentations, or tutorials—even for groups—the meeting point can be used standing up or comfortably with stools. If needed, the guide can mirror their iPad onto the monitor there and, if more privacy is required, simply close parts of the sliding glass partition.
The possibility of completely discreet personal or telephone consultations, or via video, has also been considered. The floor-to-ceiling glass “Think Tank,” a spatial solution by Goldbach Kirchner, gives the SmartLAB greater spatial depth and also offers users the option to discreetly screen off the space.
To do this, the otherwise transparent glass panels become opaque at the touch of a button.
To optimize the visual perception of the glazing, the joint pattern of the futuristic-looking three-dimensional wall cladding was continued on the glass surfaces with partially illuminated joints in the form of foil strips.
Due to the ambitious schedule during the renovation phase, the Sparkasse’s construction department commissioned the bank interior designer GI Concept from Filderstadt with the planning and construction implementation.