Regional sensitivity

Raiffeisen Corner St. Pölten

Architecturally, the branch building of a Raiffeisen bank – in St. Pölten as a cooperative bank for the provincial capital and the rural region – should reflect its importance as a lively place of service and communication.

Conceptually, this view was taken into account by planning the new building, called “raiffeisen corner,” with its four main floors, a roof level, and two basement levels as a functional hybrid: In addition to the Raiffeisen branch, a consulting center, an event space for up to 200 people that can also be booked externally, a co-working space, and gardens were integrated; on the urban contact level of the first floor, a public restaurant invites visitors to enter.

Charcoal and yellow

The anthracite-colored front of the building, with its structure of horizontal glass-fiber-reinforced concrete cornices, vertical pilaster strips and generous glass surfaces, has a noble appearance on the one hand, but also turns towards the urban space with a willingness to talk. In its expressive architecture, it follows the bank’s mission not only to promote charitable causes, but also to structurally shape neighborhoods.

The familiar yellow logos communicate its presence to the outside world in a big way, the glazed corner allows pedestrians to look in, and a concise joint in the west front signals the entrance. Incidentally: In creating the “raiffeisen corner,” emphasis was placed on working with local companies, and regional resources were also used: Wooden furniture and wooden windows are made from local trees.

Working together

Just as approachable as the interior with its bright rooms and warm wood tones, the clay plaster walls or the unconventional staircase landscape, the bank involved its employees just as sympathetically in generating the interior design: Ideas and suggestions were taken up profitably, and they were even allowed to have a say in the furnishings.

In addition to the restaurant, the first floor serves the customer area of the bank branch, with the atrium connecting to the upper floors, where office landscapes were placed. The principle of open space acted as a leitmotif here in terms of both content and space. The artistic dimension is provided by works by photographer Vilma Pflaum and graphic artist Andi Fraenzel, whose illustrations, for example, decorate the wall of the staff kitchen.

What do you consider to be the supporting qualities of a good workplace?

feld72: Since the home office has become an integral part of working, offices must become atmospherically dense “home centers” and be equipped with qualities that the home office cannot fulfill. This includes not only an intelligent workplace concept, but also attractive meeting rooms, multifunctional meeting points, retreat options, open spaces with niches, and a well-equipped social space for celebrations and socializing.

Do you see any comparisons in space design for living and for working?

Work-life blending is increasingly replacing work-life balance; the lines are blurring. It’s no longer about elapsed work time, but real productivity. Living and working spaces have both short- and long-term effects on our physical and mental health. The right environment is therefore always crucial for employee satisfaction. The office of tomorrow, like the home, is a powerful social space. People will primarily come to the office to be with others.

What do you see as the key functional aspects in the future development of workspaces?

Familiar workspaces with desks and classic meeting formats will become less and less important in the future. Spaces for communication and exchange as well as hybrid (analog/digital) workshop formats will become even more important in the future and further change the functionality of workspaces. People are different and everyone should be able to decide for themselves where their ideal space in the office is in order to be able to develop optimally.