Christian Rübbert Architekt und ARGE INNOCAD / bergundtal
HQ Volksbank South Tyrol
best architects 16
office/administrative buildings
Place
South Tyrol
Photos
Roland Halbe
Description
The zigzag-shaped building is a freestanding structure set amidst the heterogeneous fabric of the city and creating outdoor spaces with varying spatial and thematic qualities, from the public square in front to the intimate cafeteria courtyard. The building is clad in small ceramic plates whose relief produces a changing play of colours and shadows across the façade. The ground floor forms a centre for both internal and external communication. Meeting rooms and conference facilities join the bank branch and a café to form a cohesive unit and provide diverse options for customer encounters. The interior design breaks with the conventional hierarchical image of a bank. According to the concept of »new working«, free-flowing spaces allow for maximum openness and flexibility. Two essential structural elements, the »cores«, featuring Wall Works by the artist Esther Stocker and »Berg&Tal« (mountain & valley) furniture designed expressly for the building, together create zones within the open workspace for conference rooms, telephone boxes and seating niches.