Emmanuelle Moureaux Architecture have designed the Shimura Branch of the Sugamo Shinkin Bank in Tokyo, Japan.

A rainbow-like stack of 12 colored layers, peeking out from the facade to welcome visitors. Upon entering the building, three elliptical skylights bathe the interior in a soft light. Visitors spontaneously look up to see a cut-out piece of the sky that invites them to gaze languidly at it. The open sky and sensation of openness prompts you to take deep breaths, refreshing your body from within. The ceiling is adorned with dandelion puff motifs that seem to float and drift through the air. Three long glass airwells thread through the first and second levels of the building, flooding the interior with natural light as well as “blowing” air through it.

www.emmanuelle.jp

Raiffeisen Bank in Zurich was designed by Nau Design Studio.

From Nau: Raiffeisen’s flagship branch on Zurich’s Kreuzplatz dissolves traditional barriers between customer and employee, creating a new type of “open bank,” a space of encounter. Advanced technologies make banking infrastructure largely invisible; employees access terminals concealed in furniture elements, while a robotic retrieval system grants 24 hour access to safety deposit boxes. This shifts the bank’s role into becoming a light-filled, inviting environment – an open lounge where customers can learn about new products and services. This lounge feels more like a high-end retail environment than a traditional bank interior. Conversations can start spontaneously around a touchscreen equipped info-table and transition to meeting rooms for more private discussions.

www.arch.nau.coop

Amsterdam architects UNStudio have completed this department store in Cheonan, South Korea.

Called Galleria Centercity, the building has facade comprising two layers of lamellas, which create a moiré effect. Daylight is admitted through the facade and reflected around the all-white interior to reduct the need for artificial lighting.

From UNStudio: “The Galleria Cheonan responds to the current retail climate in Asia, where department stores also operate as social and semi-cultural meeting places. Because of this, the quality of the public spaces within the building was treated as an integral aspect of the design.” Ben van Berkel.

www.unstudio.com

The Wienerwald Restaurant located in Munich was designed by German architecture studio Ippolito Fleitz Group. Serving fast-food chicken and salads, the Wienerwald restaurant surprises its visitors with a fresh interior design and bold accents depicting the brand’s strongest points: high quality service, comfort and German cuisine in a contemporary design frame. Wood and leather were used to create a natural setting that was embellished with contemporary graphics and gold intrusions that evoke the crisp skin of its main product, the Wienerwald grilled chicken. A large, white and compact counter welcomes clients at the entrance, offering food choices on suspended menu boards, above the anthracite mosaic stone wall with stainless-steel units for food display.

The dining areas are visually delimitated, offering different seating options, from booths to high bar chairs and tables. All around, outlines of trees decorate the walls and mirrors, creating an open, fresh space and a selection of 15 wall plates tell the story of the brand using printed images.

www.wienerwald.de