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New York City
Gensler
Photography © Hedrich Blessing
A trendy internet café entices
new bank customers
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Architect
Gensler www.gensler.com
Client
Ing Direct
Key
Player(s)
Marino Gerazounis & Jaffe Associates (engineers);
CIC Construction (general contractor); Showorks
(audio-visual consultant)
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In an effort to be noticed, ING Direct
entered the competitive U.S. banking market with an innovation:
In their first Midtown Manhattan bank, they replaced the expected
row of tellers with an upbeat café staffed by trained bankers
and featuring coffee, soft drinks, and food, with free Internet
access, newspapers and magazines, and branded merchandise
in a modern, trendy setting. The scale and feel of the café
and the colorful neon orange exterior draws potential customers
inside. The success of the approach is measurable—in the first
quarter of the year business grew from $4 billion to $7 billion.
Underlying this achievement is a highly effective relationship
that evolved between client and architect.
For more images please see the November
2002 issue or Architectural Record.
The Winners: Abercrombie
& Fitch | Allsteel
| Cellular Operations
| Gateshead
Millenium Bridge | Multi-Use
Centre | Paul
Brown Stadium | Texas
Children's Hospital | Toys
"R" Us | Trumpf
Customer & Technology Center | Univ.
of Penn. Dept. of Facilities and Real Estate | Valeo
Electrical Systems
The Finalists:
Arcs
de Seine | Boeing\
Leadership Center | Gasometer
B | Hansen
Construction Office | ING
Direct | KeySpan
Park Stadium | Matha
Stewart Living
Unbuilt Projects:
BMW Event and
Delivery Center | Hollister
Headquarters
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