Page 140 - AIT1216_E-Paper

BANKEN UND BEHÖRDEN • BANKS AND AUTHORITY BUILDINGS INNERE WERTE • INNER VALUES
Bauhistorisches Erbe: das Deckenmosaik • Heritage of the architectural history: the ceiling mosaic Neuer Eingangsbereich, historische Fassade • New entrance area, historic façade
Grundriss Erdgeschoss • Ground floor plan
Grundriss Zwischengeschoss • Mezzanine floor plan
140 • AIT 12.2016
A nyone travelling around Spain knows the logo of the Spanish La Caixa savings bank.
The logo with the blue starfish and the yellow and red circle is omnipresent on the
Iberian Peninsula. And it was designed by none other than Joan Miró! The symbol is deri-
ved from a carpet which the Catalan artist designed for Europe’s largest savings bank in
1980. At the time, the credit institute was looking for a new trademark: the starfish and
the circles symbolize a child putting two coins into an imaginary piggy bank. Today, more
than 35 years later, due to the financial crisis the savings policy of the country has rever-
sed: Since 2004, there has been a special tax on savings in Spain! The logo derived from
the carpet also indicates the holding-company subsidiary CaixaBank founded in 2000.
For this investment bank, Francesc Rifé created a new corporate design in 2013. Several
flagship branches have been built according to that concept of interior design. After the
headquarters in Barcelona came the locations in Valencia, Seville, Pamplona and
Malaga. The latest branch was opened at the beginning of the year in the centre of
Zaragoza, in the former headquarters of the Banco Zaragozano. The striking building with
a higher corner cupola was built in 1928 in a classic-eclectic mixture of styles. While the
exterior continues to exude the noblesse of the 1920s, the new zeitgeist of CaixaBank can
be felt inside. That the focus here is on values – not only financial assets but banking tra-
dition and credibility – can be noticed in the atmosphere. Rifé redesigned the ground
floor and the mezzanine in the high base of the building. The renovated mosaic ceiling
decorated with gold leaf draws the eyes upwards. Right below it is a further eye-catcher:
an old floor mosaic with the arms of Zaragoza. As striking architectural heritage, the floor,
the ceiling and the atrium still characterize the space. The interior interventions by the
Catalan architect add to this in a harmonious but clearly contrasting way.
Contrasting, minimalist, noble
On the mezzanine, glass balustrades – pure and transparent – run around the atrium.
They extend downward like aprons into the area of the ground floor. Rifé perfectly
masters the play on different ceiling heights. To create more privacy, the ceiling height
above the lateral consultation booths was markedly reduced. In addition, the low ceiling
functions as an acoustic absorber. The booths’ L-shaped partitions at half-height are
covered with beige fabric. This looks as homely as does the seating furniture in the atri-
um. Extensive light-dark contrasts of the walls, ceilings and floors are characteristic of the
CaixaBank flagship branches. The ceiling-high, translucent glass walls of the consulta-
tion rooms on the mezzanine look upscale. There, Rifé had strong colours applied.
The floors and the walls are immersed in the sunny yellow derived from the logo. It
continues to be exciting in the banking industry. Zaragoza’s CaixaBank signals conti-
nuity – through existing buildings rich in tradition and new, calm interior design.