The architect Benjamin Ellwanger and ellwanger menzel architekten ingenieure created goals with Sparkasse LeerWittmund that they wanted the building to achieve. These included open-plan spaces to encourage team building and communication, no hierarchies and workspaces evident in the architecture, natural and high-quality materials, matt surfaces, a range of different working environments, as well as an office concept that aims to increase the average rate an office worker stands up and moves about from 15 to 50%. An atmosphere that projected a feeling of well-being, akin to a home, was to enhance employee loyalty and give customers a feeling of assurance. The Sparkasse’s areas dedicated to customers are all about feeling as relaxed as you would do at a friend’s place.
The around 1,000 sq m customer service area lies at the heart of the new building. In the consulting areas customers can sit on Wilkhahn’s Neos cantilever chairs and employees on IN office task chairs with their motion-driven Trimension® technology. A sculpturally designed staircase connects up the various storeys whose walls navigate towards the customer service area like inner facades.
Employees can choose between around ten different working environments as well as numerous conference and meeting rooms. This meant that Wilkhahn had to customise its Graph, Timetable and Logon conference table systems to a very large extent.
While providing the technology and power supply for the conference table is something Wilkhahn does every day, making the solid-wood Graph conference table, shaped like a large open-centred triangle for 32 people, was a special challenge. It’s rounded off by leather-covered Graph conference chairs whose supporting leaf spring requires no further mechanisms but provides three-dimensional seated comfort.
Because the conference rooms also play a role in the concept where the architects aimed to stimulate employees to move as much as possible – from the layout of the various functional areas to the access routes and the position of the furniture to the choice of seating.
The IN office task chair with its patented Trimension® technology plays a key role in encouraging movement. And there’s Stand-up, a sitting-standing stool located in a consultation room with a large touchscreen. As a visitor chair or for meetings with a small number of people, the architects also chose Wilkhahn’s all-rounder, the Chassis chair, that comes in white and underscores the friendly and welcoming atmosphere. The impressive overall concept, consisting of the architecture, organisational structures and furnishing, could become a magnet for anyone interested in contemporary styles of working in the banking business.
Click here to visit the architects’ website: http://ecarchitekten.de
Further information:
about IN office task chair: www.wilkhahn.com/en/products/office-swivel-chairs/in-office-chair/
about Graph conference chair: www.wilkhahn.com/en/products/conference-and-visitor-chairs-seating/graph/
about Graph conference table: www.wilkhahn.com/en/products/conference-tables/graph-table/
about Logon conference table: www.wilkhahn.com/en/products/conference-tables/logon
about Timetable conference table: www.wilkhahn.com/en/products/conference-tables/timetable
about Chassis chair: www.wilkhahn.com/en/products/conference-and-visitor-chairs-seating/chassis/
about Neos cantilever chair: www.wilkhahn.com/en/products/conference-and-visitor-chairs-seating/neos-cantilever-chair
