Frankfurter Volksbank Rhein/Main, one of Germany’s largest and most financially stable cooperative banks, is entering a new era. With its intelligent, trendsetting branch concept, the finance institution is departing from traditional bank design and replacing it with spacious meeting rooms and modern architecture. The remodelling of branches in Frankfurt and Hochtaunuskreis cost the regional bank approximately six million euros in 2021/22. Further locations are to follow in time.
The branch reimagined
Frankfurter Volksbank branches are being transformed into consultation and content hubs
CONSULTATION HOTSPOTS WITH A WELCOMING LOOK & FEEL ++ More colourful, more transparent, more approachable. In the age of digitalisation, Frankfurter Volksbank Rhein/Main’s new branches embody a consciously unique style. The open spatial concept centres around light-filled architecture with plenty of glass, a symbol of its new consultation culture. Desks and counters which create distance are a thing of the past. Instead customers and advisers sit together at one table, five metres in length and spanned by striking strip lighting. For enhanced confidentiality, in-depth conversations can be held in one of the consultation rooms, each of which is fully glassed and fitted with a smart screen.
The entrance foyer features a large LED wall. The living moss wall, meanwhile, is more than just an eye-catching feature: it regulates the climate of the space and absorbs sound. Sustainability plays a key role here, as a theme in the added value campaign and the financial institution’s new service and consultation portfolio, as well as on a practical level in the branch redesign featuring e-charging stations in the foyer. Carpets made from recycled fishing nets and other elements such as sofas and standing lamps lend the branches a personalised air and create a relaxed atmosphere. The end result is a small feat of design: a coherent concept that appeals to everyone, project partners, customers and staff alike.
FULL-SERVICE POWER IN THE METROPOLITAN REGION ++ After the successful fulfilment of the shared FinanzPunkte for Frankfurter Volksbank and Taunus Sparkasse, the collaboration has entered the next phase. As general contracting partner, project manager and construction manager for the Volksbank, we manage all works for the remodel, including IT and security technology, from our headquarters in Frankfurt. We produce, deliver and assemble the furniture ourselves, focusing in particular on the development and construction of adjustable furniture elements, such as the consultation tables.
Facts & Figures
| When | Where | The challenge | Core activities | Store designs | Extent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Since 2021 | The Rhine-Main region | Remodel of existing buildings with timely opening; gutting of branch buildings | Store Value Engineering, Store Production, Store General Contracting, Store Services | Branches Design: Architekturbüro Heideck, Wiesbaden |
5+ branches; others planned for 2022/23 |