Design that delivers history

We created and implemented a brand concept that would evoke the history of Bank House while modernising the building’s image in a way that would enrich the visitor experience.

Project partners

Longmead Capital
Workman
Assent Building Control

I was very happy with the fact that you get the job done and there are no issues

Sunil Dhanda, Workman

Key features

Biophilia
Money based colour palette
Flexibility
Wayfinding

Project description

The landlord of the Cherry Street building employed Overbury’s inhouse design team to reimagine Bank House’s image and upgrade the user journey and experience. Central to the brief was designing a branding concept that would come alive from the pavement and reception area through to connecting stairways, cycle storage, wash facilities and beyond.

A warm welcome

The new reception space features a reworked glass box extension that serves as a touchdown work and waiting area for visitors and employees. Part of the Bank House design and branding concept involves the use of ‘portals’ – touchpoints throughout the space that complement wayfinding and visually communicate to the visitor that they are either leaving or entering a new zone.

In fact, the Bank House experience begins before visitors and employees step foot through the door. Signage was revised as part of the refreshed branding, with the building now identified via backlit brass lettering and an illuminated feature logo, tied together with refinished entry points.

A wealth of luxurious touches

At 7m high, the co-work reserve space received upgraded lighting and new bar-height worktops overlooking the street and a lush artificial plant wall visible from the outside. As a nod to Bank House’s history, our design features a colour palette inspired by the ‘colour of money’ – greens and golds. New booth seating is upholstered in a familiar ‘bank note’ coloured velvet for a luxury feel and new vinyl flooring and carpets bring layers of texture to enhance the visual aesthetic. Refreshed branding, column surrounds and lift lobby walls follow the user from the entry lanes to when their journey splits at the lifts.

The elevator pitch

Form and function were of equal importance for the landlord of Bank House. Bespoke furnishings, including a postal station, signage and reception desk form a neatly organised front of house area. Every facet of the visitor experience was considered, from the design of a comfortable and inviting work lounge to replacing the physical tenant directory with a new digital solution that can easily be updated with minimal effort.

Overbury created a plush curved seating area through bespoke joinery with marble effect panelling, brass trims, artificial planting and wall mounted lights continuing the aesthetic from the front reception area and booths.

Refreshing the freshening up

Between expanding capacity for 22 vertical-mounted bikes, providing facilities for clothes to dry in the form of heated lockers and adding a concealed service corridor, the building improves convenience for cyclists while promoting a more sustainable commute, all while losing just one carparking space. Existing shower facilities, WCs and changing rooms were renovated with split male and female areas introduced as per requests from the building’s tenants.

The extension of the shower rooms required Overbury to create a brand-new lobby. A historic leak was addressed during these works, correcting what had been a long-standing issue for the landlord. Another challenge concerned the low, sloping basement ceiling and the impact on the shower room facilities. In the female area, the decision was taken to embrace an exposed ceiling to create more room.