Located in the up-and-coming Guoco Midtown development in Singapore, the new offices for VP Bank in Singapore are a tranquil oasis in the busy world of business and finance. Designed by LAAB Architects, in collaboration with Monocot and Justbuild, this new interior project is sophisticated and timeless and perfectly on brand. Notably, LAAB Architects was also the winner of The Design Studio category at the 2020 INDE.Awards.

The interior is pared back and refined with minimal colour and material palettes. With soft timber hues, warm upholstery and textured paint, the office is a comfortable and inviting space in which to welcome clients and conduct professional and private banking.

The team at LAAB Architects, comprising Kevin Chau, Venus Lung, Larissa Ku, Charis Liu, Catherine Cheng and Raphael Kwok, worked closely with VP Bank Singapore to create an office where all areas seamlessly integrate with each other. At 1114 square metres (12,000 square feet) the VP Bank has a substantial footprint and one that includes every amenity and facility.

Entering the reception area from the elevator lobby, extensive greenery creates a biophilic environment, while the curvilinear walls finished with textured paint leads the visitor to the ‘living room’. This social space is light and airy with sofas, coffee tables and a curved bar with three pendant lights overhead – all set against floor-to-ceiling windows that provide stunning views of the city beyond.

At the centre of the living room is a lounge with a circular ceiling light trough that complements the curved walls. This is a flexible area and can accommodate gatherings where staff and clients can wander between the lounge and bar to mingle with ease.

An enclosed tearoom with a live-edge tea ceremony table and an overhead lantern adds a contemporary Asian element to the office environment. This important inclusion caters for clients who would like a more private conversation in a casual setting. All boardrooms and meeting rooms are equipped with state-of-the-art VC technology for online meetings.

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On the other side of the lounge area are the offices that have been conceived to emphasise and facilitate connection and collaboration. With an open plan office there are visual sightlines across the floor and there is ample natural light for working.

While the cool interior of VP Bank has been designed where less is more, each element complements the idea that this is a space in which to be comfortable, work well and enjoy the experience.

In a busy metropolis such as Singapore there is not always the opportunity to find space to move and work, but with VP Bank there is both. LAAB Architects has conceived a workplace interior that, while sensitive to place, takes the best of contemporary design to enhance the day-to-day of business in a modern world.

LAAB Architects
laab.pro

Photography
Studio Periphery

Next up: The HK Stock Exchange also by LAAB.