Frankfurter Volksbank and Taunus Sparkasse are merging some of their locations in the Main-Taunus and Hochtaunus districts and will operate joint "FinanzPunkte" in the future. We developed a modular expansion concept that ensures the financial institutions can continue to operate locally for their customers. Ten conversions will be completed by the end of the year, with another 16 to follow in two stages by 2021. The management boards of both financial institutions presented the concept to the public at a joint press conference.
We developed a design concept for the modular expansion system, which ranges from self-service branches with ATMs and banking terminals to branches operated by customer advisors, depending on the size and scope of services offered by the respective FinanzPunkt. Important aspects such as customer loyalty, recognizability of the financial institutions, security, and easy accessibility were incorporated into the concept and design. In addition, a space-saving layout was developed during the concept development phase in order to save costs in terms of space management. With the new interior design concept, the space requirement was reduced by up to 50% compared to the original branches. In order to continue to guarantee customers the greatest possible security in their banking transactions and not to undermine confidence in the respective financial institution, the IT systems and banking terminals of each financial institution will continue to be operated separately even after the physical merger. In addition, separate operations for each institution ensure the necessary discretion when advising regular customers.
Variability thanks to modular expansion system
The focus was on creating a consistent and stringent interior design and formulating a clear entrance situation. The fully glazed entrance module with a surrounding gray frame, which also bears the new lettering, meets the operator's desire for recognizability, transparency, and barrier-free access to all FinanzPunkte locations. The module stands as a uniform and recognizable element in front of every FinanzPunkt branch. All FinanzPunkte are accessible. The structural adjustments will be implemented individually for each location during the renovation phase.
The smallest spatial unit in the concept is the unstaffed self-service FinanzPunkt, in which each financial institution has one ATM and one self-service banking terminal installed in uniform containers.
A second module complements the self-service area with a consulting module featuring a central reception desk and two workstations for personal consultations with customer advisors. In order to clearly signal to customers from a distance which institution is currently operating the FinanzPunkt, the reception desk positioned in the center of the room is illuminated in the colors of the respective financial institution. The simple furniture ensures a tidy and clearly arranged room. The elements of the mobile night closure for the self-service area are pushed into a side wall panel.
A meeting module is attached to the consultation module as an additional unit, which is intended for discreet consultation or the connection of additional experts via video or telephone. A roller blind ensures discretion when needed. A floor-to-ceiling backlit image with a motif typical of the location serves as an identity-creating room divider.
The fixtures and fittings and furniture for the FinanzPunkte branches were designed by holger meyer architektur and are being manufactured exclusively by the internationally experienced shopfitting and exhibition stand construction company Münch+Münch from Frankfurt, which is also acting as the general contractor for the turnkey interior construction. holger meyer architektur was commissioned with the planning for the renovations of all FinanzPunkt branches.