By Joshua Burd
DMR Architects has completed plans for the redesign of an SB One Bank branch in Weehawken, the first to undergo renovations since the launch of a rebrand early this year.
The Hasbrouck Heights-based firm said the design of the branch, located on Avenue at Port Imperial, supports the bank’s focus on providing a private, intimate space for employees and customers to collaborate on higher-level needs. The spaces are meant to provide a break from a layout that conveys the more transactional and impersonal experiences at other banks, where customers and bankers are often physically separated by counters, desks or windows.
“While online banking can address many customers’ needs, financial investment and saving is still a very personal matter,” said Vito Giannola, senior executive vice president and chief banking officer for SB One. “DMR Architects created a welcoming environment where our team members can create on-on-one relationships with clients and customize their banking needs.”
The redesign follows a shift from what was formerly known as Sussex Bank. The Weehawken location is part of the ground-floor retail space within a luxury condominium development.
“Online data breaches at banks, stores, and web sites are driving people back into the banks,” said Lloyd Rosenberg, CEO and president of DMR Architects. “The SB One Weehawken banking center renovation is a prototype space that supports an experience that customers can’t get online or in other banking institutions.”
