Firm： Térkultúra

Type： Commercial › Bank Office

STATUS： Built

YEAR： 2015

SIZE： 1000 sqft - 3000 sqft

BUDGET： $100K - 500K

T first “new-bank” branch in Hungary

According to international studies "Z" generation needs a completely new banking process that is personal, quick, smart and social. The integrated multifunctional model of MagNet Bank Community Point is a revolutionary response.

As a value-based bank, the Hungarian MagNet Bank is a community building financial institution, which aspires for active social participation together with its clients and consciously develops its environment. The bank offers special decision-making rights to the clients, by which they have the opportunity to support organizations and their beneficial projects that are important to them.

The new branch office was opened in the center of Budapest in November 2015 after rethink how to communicate company values and reinterpret banking methods. Therefore it is not a traditional branch but a community point where customers can support non-profit organizations, drink fair trade eco cafe, read a good book, play with their children or … banking.

The experimental branch’s every element has been carefully planned, which will have a strong roll in the future branches, too, to create a standardized appearance. This includes lots of green plants, the choice of colors, finishes and materials, the iconic furnitures.

The starting point of design conception was the company’s logo, a green tree with rich traditional Hungarian folklore motives of productivity.

Green color goes through the interior purposely, appears on wall paint, upholstery and live plants: trees and green walls. The tall, living trees reflect the company’s main symbol. Just as the famous Forest chair, designed by Robby and Francesca Cantarutti, which is taking inspiration from the forms of nature, too.

The use of Emeco 111 Navy Chairs (made of 111 recycled PET bottles), or recycled butcher tables and old factory lamps is unusual from a bank branch but emphasize environmental awareness as one of the bank’s core values. Reduced colour palette suggests deliberate modesty and transparency while graphics express the message of social responsibility:

"Donate to NGOs”, or in relation to self-determination such as " the future is not something we enter, the future is something we create", or - in conjunction with value-based banking - "some are so poor all they have is money”.

Instead of dividing by counters, there are informal conversation corners to help collaboration between banker and client as equal partners. In terms of space planning there is a symbolic significance to the fact that banking reception and coffee making takes place at a joint counter. This has a message that banking is just as laid-back activity as ordering a coffee.

The design of the new flagship branch perfectly embodies the new way of thinking about solidarity and responsibility in financial decisions and makes MagNet Bank remarkable among others.