Banking on the future

High-flying bankers from around the world form the target audience of this ‘visitor experience’ designed by Morrison Eaglen Design Consultants for the banking technology group NCR.

The exterior of the 2.6m NCR Knowledge Lab is already throwing light on to London’s Marylebone Road prior to the centre’s opening next month.

Christopher Morrison and Max Eaglen’s Brighton consultancy was appointed to design the interiors by communications agency Maritz.

The idea is to bring bankers into an environment where they can glimpse the technology that they may come to rely on in the future. Consequently, the design had to be fairly restrained – they are bankers, after all – but at the same time communicate NCR’s state of the art technology credentials.

The NCR Knowledge Lab contains different presentation areas centred on a control room ‘packed with technology’, says Eaglen. Laptop units in each area give access to the various audiovisual presentations, case studies and so on – created by Swedish firm Frame Store – electronically delivered from the control room. Lighting for the project is by DHA.

Extensive use of sandblasted glass ‘gives visitors a flavour without telling all’, says Eaglen. Small portholes ‘give a view through to the future’ and ‘encourage visitors to explore’.

Design: Morrison Eaglen

Design Consultants

Client: NCR