[Last modified: November, 27 2024 09:13 PM]
My chosen observation site is Lloyds Bank, which is opposite the teaching building of UCL at 188 Tottenham Court Road. The deep yellow wooden flooring and the cold white ceiling lights complement each other, creating a warm indoor environment that acts as a unique microclimate, serving as a boundary between the street and institutional spaces. This atmosphere is particularly evident in how the space manages heat disturbances caused by the frequent operation of automatic doors during busy periods. Despite occasional cold air intrusions, the warm environment symbolizes the bank’s commitment to security and comfort.
The bank uses its signature green walls and grey partitions to define different activity areas, cleverly guiding customer behavior. The circular furniture in the consultation area—round tables and curved armchairs—presents an interesting contrast to the bank’s traditional sharp-edged architecture. This design choice reflects the contemporary banking industry’s effort to soften its institutional image, although the dark tones (deep grey carpets, brown chairs) maintain a professional seriousness.
The most noticeable aspect of social interaction in this space is the role of the initial service representatives. Their rapid interactions with customers often involve interrupting them and categorizing their needs based on keywords (“transfer”, “cash”, “stamp”). The customers’ acceptance of these brief interactions indicates their inherent understanding that institutional efficiency takes precedence over traditional conversational etiquette.
The soundscape creates a complex hierarchy of institutional sounds: low conversations, the continuous hum of printers, intermittent telephone rings, and intrusive street music form what Murray Schafer would call the unique “soundmark” of contemporary banking. Despite the objectively noisy environment, the scarcity of human voices reinforces the expected behavioral norms in bank spaces. The prominent presence and ongoing operation of printers highlight an interesting contradiction in modern banking: while the industry is moving towards digitalization, physical documents remain central to banking operations.
The bank utilizes multimodal elements to maintain institutional authority while adapting to evolving customer service expectations. This space embodies what Louise Crewe describes as “anxious architecture”—environments that must simultaneously convey security, efficiency, and approachability. Despite occasional signs of impatience (sighing, loud chewing of gum), customers generally adhere to the brief service model. This suggests that even when service efficiency is compromised, the bank’s multimodal construction of authority successfully maintains social control.