Mufg Private Banking Office
Exterior Design Concept
Nagoya is a special city in Japan, not only for its location in between the Tokyo metropolitan region (Kanto) and the Kyoto/Osaka region (Kansai), but also for its unique cultural identity as a city that, while progressive, is also very aware of traditional Japanese aesthetics and the respect for a high quality lifestyle. Indeed, there seems to be a specific Nagoya style, one that reflects an understanding of design quality and the ways in which a brand is understood in contemporary life. The people of Nagoya are smart and discerning. It is from these conditions that we worked toward a design that would be very progressive and modern, but understood within a local context.
For the MUFG PBO, a new idea location for banking, we have proposed a slightly reflective black metal panel façade that is installed over the existing 1970s office building behind. The color black refers to an elegant, simple aspect of Japanese aesthetics, and reminds one of seriousness and stability, something that should be projected from a bank. From there, we have shaped and perforated this black surface in new and modern ways, from the smooth, three dimensionality of the entrance to the escalator hall, to the laser cut pattern that makes a screen for the second floor windows. We have tried to combine a sense of logic and functionality with an unusual sense of design style, something that gives MUFG an identity different than any other bank in all of Japan. Like fine Japanese laquered bowls, the exterior of the bank is a stark contrast to the colors and material found inside the Quick Corner ATM Hall and the PBO on the first floor.
Interior Design Concept
Design is a fusion of form and use. As this is a new type of banking office, we have had the ambition to give a new feeling to the experience of private banking. Here, the environment must be accessible and friendly, yet have a special sense of contemporary design. The two most important features to our design are first, the smooth surfaces that shape the ceiling and walls into a continuous, flowing world, and second, the contrasting materials of white plaster and two types of wood veneers. The subtle curvatures and angles of the surfaces are specially designed to help the space become embracing, while the colors and materials combine to give a fresh, warm overall feeling to the space.
The spatial sequence begins in the escalator hall where embossed bronze aluminum panels mark the edge of the bank along the ascending escalators. The main reception hall of the PBO is a space of transition where reception and small conference rooms are shaped by smooth surfaces of wood. Most of the walls and furniture do not touch the floor, thus giving the whole space a sense of lightness, again a contrast to most traditional banking environments. We believe that these types of design features create curiosity among the banks costumers, reflecting the idea that MUFG is thinking of new ways to help those clients protect and expand their financial resources.
Further into the space, the main lounge consists of our custom carpet and furniture designs. Based on the geometric patterns on the exterior façade, these elements help make a complete world of design specific to the MUFG Nagoya PBO. We have chosen bright, warm, and exciting colors and fabrics so that conversations can be as fresh and optimistic as possible.