Welcome to the Open Bank
Danske Bank’s new Aarhus domicile brings five former bank locations under one roof in an impressive and welcoming office building. One large and open atrium, buzzing with life and activity, is encircled by five floors which, each in their own way, provide modern and aesthetically pleasing surroundings for staff and customers.
The bank’s own interior designer, Annemarie Thoke, executed the design of the new offices, based on a workplace design concept developed by PLH Architects. HOLMRIS B8 supplied and installed all furnishings and fittings – not least, specially designed solutions that include two types of locker: one version for in-wall mounting and one version in wood for incorporation into a piece of furniture that serves as a sofa, room divider and locked storage system.
The open and welcoming bank
Like Danske Bank’s Odense branch and Kolding branch, the new Aarhus branch is designed to be open and welcoming. On street level, where all customer services are located, customers are welcomed by organic shapes, warm wood, partially transparent meeting rooms and, not least, a view of the many staff workstations on the upper floors. Openness is also expressed through the bank’s own café, which is open to the bank’s staff and the public alike.
Throughout the building, the furniture underpins the bank’s core values of being welcoming, local and quality-conscious. The interiors feature natural materials like wood, stone, leather and textile which, combined with the chosen color palette, the architecture and the furnishings, make for an impressive sight.
Furniture for Collaboration
Most of the bank’s 700 employees sit in spacious, open-plan working environments, which are supplemented by areas with on-the-fly workstations, high tables and small round tables. The open and varied layout and decor make it easier to be available and collaborate across functions.
When their work requires focus, employees can use smaller quiet rooms, or they can take a break in high-back sofas that look out over the open atrium. From there, they can enjoy the building’s Scandinavian architecture and the white staircase that seems to fill up the space like a sculpture. They can also see how the continuous bright decor is broken up by two black kitchenettes on each floor – modern squares where colleagues can meet and expand their networks over coffee.
Diversity – Also for Meeting Rooms
The bank has a large number of meeting rooms and no two are alike. Statement lamps, various works of art and bold colors provide character and diversity, while quality furnishings, such as chairs from Arper and the elegant DO1100 conference table from HOLMRIS B8 tie everything together.
One of the more untraditional meeting rooms has been given a yellow carpet, yellow chairs from Hay and a collection of little round tables from Pedrali. This is just one example of how we can help bring variety and novelty to a functional working environment.
