Who said a bank must be a dour structure, all layers of muddy tones and mutual fund advertisements? Judging from the bright, welcoming ambience of Sugamo Shinkin Bank’s Nakaaoki Branch, architect Emmanuelle Moureaux certainly doesn’t feel that way. The fourth branch designed by Moureaux for Japan-based Sugamo Shinkin (I wrote about another branch here), the building features cubes of varying depths with bold dashes of resin-based paint meticulously placed on sides or front pieces. Moureaux feels this makes the building “change expression” when viewed from different vantage points as the “colours appear in and out from the rhythmical repetition of cubes, dancing like musical notes playing a rainbow melody”. Plants like marigolds, lavender and olive trees mingle with the modern cube structure, highlighting the changing seasons. Even the teller windows feel enthusiastic! Now this is a bank I would linger at…
(spotted on/photographs via dezeen)