Santander Consumer Bank
Architect: HPP, DüsseldorfSales Office: Objektform Planen und Enrichten GmbH; Essen
SHREWD ACTIVIST
Express and create movement – this is the philosophy of Santander Consumer Bank. Success has proven this vision right: Santander Consumer Bank has quickly won over private and corporate clients worldwide. Santander Consumer Bank in Mönchengladbach makes a bold attempt to design a new world for its clients and staff. The red carpet has been rolled out.
The goal for the newly installed headoffice in Germany was to create space for flexibility and creativity. HPP emerged as winner of the competition for the best design concept envisioning playfully arranged building complexes. HPP is one of the most successful firms in Germany and has created icons of architectural history, including the Dreischeibenhaus in Düsseldorf dating from the 1950s and in 2002 the Allianz headquarters in Frankfurt am Main, designed as a city in the city.
Arrangement around an atrium.
HPP created for Santander architecture, urban planning, landscape architecture and interior design concepts. Corporate culture extends like a thread through all areas of the company, externally and internally. Set in an area awash with new development in Mönchengladbach in the Rhineland the large park showcases a selection of artwork. In midst of it all, the four-storey building complex. Architects have mixed up the vast area with staggered shapes, aptly assembled structures and glazed facades. This has yielded an urban structure enabling view and new perspectives every day. Attuned to the vision of the Spanish building owner whose business standards are mobility, creativity and communication.
"The building is unique. Nothing is mass-produced. This reflects the philosophy of a very flexible bank."
Wolfgang Miazgowski, Project Manager for Interior Design, HPP
Bold method
The core of the corporate headquarters offers a brand-new concept for work contents and work processes. The internationally operating financial institution sought to structure workflow faster, better and more individually. The designer team included top strategists, planners and manufacturers, who created an astonishing work landscape: The Fraunhofer Institut analysed processes, HPP designed structures and Objektform Essen created the interiors for Santander. Bene developed specialised desks and furniture for the workstations that complied with requirements of the expert team. Little space for individual work but much differentiated space for team work, projects, presentations, conferences – this was the conclusion for the interior design. The innovation was played out as follows: The new concept goes beyond the usual differentiation of work and communication and creates interiors that facilitate various types of activities. The consequence of this solution is both extraordinary and logical, as it digs into every day experiences and meets the need for efficient service.
"Clean-Desk" for Santander is a table with the measurements 80 x 160 cm, adjustable to seating and standing position by electric motor; its height varies from 66 to 130 cm. Technical equipment and functional elements are clipped under the table top. The minimalist table dominates the space. On the back of the table a thin panel can be moved up and down as desired. It provides separation, privacy and protection. It opens up the space, promotes communication and allows friendly looks to enter. An innovation of project specialists that Bene will in future offer to the entire working world.
Minimal surfaces for increased work quality
"Good partners that take a creative approach in accomplishing unusual tasks and prove reliable in translating the concept to reality. This is the dream of every builder."
Susanne Bancken, Project Management/Interior Design, Santander Consumer Bank
With 80 work stations the open space office becomes an individual space for daily alternating work tasks. The place is no longer individual, such as envisioned by traditional office layouts, but rather the activities. Files and documents are organised in a digital system or in archiving boxes that are placed around the workstations. Personal items are stored in a pilot case or a locker. Open space workstations in different departments of the building complement individual offices.
Ergonomic work stations facilitate particularly individual tasks. For team and project work, various project rooms have been set up. They provide a temporary venue for those who seek to contact others and search for creative innovations. Four tables on castors were arranged as required, the walls feature sideboards that store important files. These think tanks enable concentrated thinking. One can withdraw here to work uninterrupted on a project, have private meetings or turn dreams into reality. Touch down zones facilitate informal exchange for quick conversations at the stand-up table, optionally with digital network connections. Business lounges meet the same purpose, while offering more comfort. Formal meetings or phone conversations take place in meeting rooms that have been installed in each section of the building.
The chill-out zone near the atrium promises relaxation. The vision of the expert team becomes tangible right here: Optimisation of the floor space (floor space efficiency is twice as high as the German average) in combination with increased work intensity and communication. A concept that calls for consistent supervision in order to materialise. This is where Bene proved its strengths- from creation, planning and furnishing of the entire building to logistically excellent delivery.
Red carpets and furniture accentuated with red elements create activity – Santander’s building colour sets the stage for southern flair in an office world abuzz with black-and-white. The design highlight of the headoffice is the harmoniously assembled landscape featuring waiting areas, a café, snack bar and restaurant on the ground floor. There is something for everyone, cool or comfortable, private or representative, a variety of healthy and mouth-watering dishes for every taste.
Annette Blank
