3XN – Bank of the Future Openness, Simplicity, Care

What should a bank look like? Can architecture and interior design promote cooperation and knowledge sharing? How can the desire to act with environmental and social responsibility be translated into more than clichés? These were just some of the questions that the Danish architectural firm 3XN had to address in the design of the new headquarters for one of Sweden’s biggest banks, Swedbank.

Together with Humlegården Fastigheter, 3XN presented a comprehensive proposal that included the location of the new building, the architectural design and, not least, how Swedbank and its staff could propel themselves well into the 21st century. In itself, the building’s location outside central Stockholm challenges traditional norms for banks.

As the Swedish architecture critic Rasmus Wærn writes in his preface to the book: “Swedbank’s office defines urbanism, and work, in a new way.” Wærn continues, “The interiors in the new building are not only stunning compared to the old venue, but a benchmark for corporate architecture at large.” Just a few months after the inauguration, the holistic and sustainable construction process earned the new building an environmental award, EU GreenBuilding of 2014.