AIT 12.2021 Banks and Authority Buildings – transparency and sympathy
We had already become accustomed to the fact that since the global financial crisis, banks have been ranked at the bottom of the list of building tasks, and also that more and more bank branches have stealthily disappeared from the cityscape. In times of online banking and social distancing, however, the personal approach in an empathetic atmosphere seems eminent for building a relationship of trust. This applies to banks in Switzerland, Barcelona or Prague, as well as to courthouses in Tübingen and Amsterdam and law offices in Stuttgart. Where once it was important to imply security with intimidating authority, today the aim is to reduce threshold fears through transparency and sympathy, and in a relaxed feel-good atmosphere the ground is prepared for cooperation based on trust. This is also the concept of the Banks of the Future, which the Belgian interior designers Creneau International developed for the ING Groep. Our AIT columnist Dominik Reding has the special good fortune to be able to address his questions regarding the future of banks to a former classmate. In Reding’s essay, Dr. Karsten Junius, the chief economist of a major private bank, answers his questions. The profound connoisseur of the international financial scene takes a stand not only on the architectural but also on the ethical standards of banks. We hope you enjoy reading this issue, have a healthy and merry Christmas and wish you all the best for 2022!
