The new Advice Centre of the cooperative Rabobank Westelijke Mijnstreek in Sittard, designed by Mecanoo architecten, has officially opened. This sculptural bank building in the rolling landscape of Limburg offers employees and customers, many of whom are self-employed, a place for meeting and collaborating. The Advice Centre is fully outfitted according to the principles of flexible workspace design.
Francine Houben: "The Rabobank Westelijke Mijnstreek Advice Centre is a bank that does not want to look like a bank. It might also be a public building, such as a library. There are a large variety of workplaces, such as along the balustrades overlooking the atrium, and there are individual workstations for concentration, niches in the oak walls for informal consultations, a zigzagging table where you can plug in your laptop and of course meeting rooms. Employees can select a place that fits the activities of that day.
The eye-catcher is the auditorium where also clients of the bank can work. The sixty-metre long curtain has been designed by Petra Blaisse of Inside Outside. By playing with the position of the curtain parts, alternating spaces and atmospheres can be created. We are very proud of the building and our collaboration with the client. It's almost a pity that it is finished."