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A Building with a Garden on the Roof

The new headquarters of ČSOB was erected in Prague’s Radlice district in 2007. From the very beginning, it was conceived to be open, accommodating and user and visitor-friendly. The aim of the new building was to bring people together, to break down barriers between employees and the management and among individual teams. For this reason, the project that won was one of low connected pavilions, walk-through spaces and areas reminiscent of bridges and streets. This barrier-free “town” is a natural environment for employees to meet, discuss and come up with ideas together.

“We don’t want a splendid headquarters made of marble, but a friendly, open and accommodating building with great emphasis on the ecological aspects.” Pavel Kavánek, ČSOB General Director.

 
A change of corporate culture

• Communication between individuals and whole teams was simplified – there is no need to go from one building to another, places to meet are always nearby. Personal and direct communication prevails.
• Thanks to the open spaces, people have learned to be more considerate and sensitive towards one another.
• Employees are more creative, with ideas better conceived in an inspiring environment.
• Everyone is more responsible for their own activities and performance, which is naturally visible on everyone.
• Managers are not “BOSSes” but individuals who live with “their” people, meet each other in the halls, elevators, dining tables.

How do employees feel at their workplaces? The average “school” grade was 1.8. Criticism generally regarded noise. For that reason, anti-noise barriers were put up in the canteens, the café and the office kitchens. Another frequent criticism was the impersonal environment – people had the need to liven up their workspaces, usually by placing pictures, photos and plants. All that can be found here now. Employees get spontaneously involved in initiatives and ideas when they see they are being made happen.

We recommend asking people how they feel after a certain period of getting used to the new headquarters. Not even the best architectural proposal can replace the feelings of those who work in a place every day.

The building, the environment, the atmosphere and even the corporate culture of the entire complex tries to get employees to look for new ways of behaviour, managers to look for modern ways to lead people, and inspire everyone to seek development and motivation to work. How can it inspire? The building allows for exhibits of employees’ works of art and photography, lectures on various topics (travel, home living etc.). You can work in various locations, maybe have a meeting under the trees.

The seasonal changes of the greenery inside and outside of the building has an effect on headquarter “dwellers”. The plants and the building mature, and naturally get old, not denying the natural cycle of life.

Authors: Michaela Cíglerová and Denisa Mannová, Československá obchodní banka, www.csob.cz