Designs On Asia: Growing Wealth in a Garden at Citibank’s Largest Wealth Hub in Singapore
PUBLISHED May 7th, 2021 06:00 am | UPDATED May 14th, 2021 04:30 pm
Money doesn’t grow on trees, so the old adage goes – yet Citibank’s latest wealth hub is making flora and fortunes flourish in tandem. The bank’s largest wealth advisory centre to date and its first in Singapore, Citi Wealth Hub is shaking up the staid, carpet-and-frosted-glass look of your traditional banking institution. An unexpected ode to the riches of nature, this 2,787-sqm financial hub on Orchard Road is lush greenhouse first, functional office second.
The brainchild of acclaimed local firm Ministry of Design (MOD), this concept is dubbed a ‘banking conservatory’ for good reason. While one might expect a hub for high-net-worth clients to be a cold, glitzy affair of marble and steel, Citi Wealth Hub is four floors of tropical greenery, carefully curated together with landscaping studio ICN Design.
Rather than surfaces that dazzle the eye, tinted glass walls let in restful floods of natural light – ideal conditions for indoor palms and ferns to thrive. And to match the sun’s movement throughout the day, a smart lighting system shifts in colour temperature from cool blue to warmer red, in tune with human circadian rhythms. In short, the space is steeped in the same sense of wellness that a nature retreat might yield – a prime example of biophilic design.
Citi Wealth Hub caters exclusively to the bank’s Citigold clients – high-powered clients with above S$250,000 in assets. Floors seven and eight of the building are dedicated social space for meetings and events, while floors six and nine are home to office space for the bank’s relationship managers.
The heart of the hub is undoubtedly the seventh-floor Citigold Centre, a soaring double-height atrium for welcoming guests. The space teems with sinuous brass planters housing feathery parlour palms and broad-leafed arums, lit with a warm glow from below. These planters form winding paths to high-tech meeting pods, fully fitted with acoustic panels, curved TV screens, and verdant views – an improvement on stuffy meeting rooms for sure.
Planted amidst the greenery are cosy nooks for lounging as well, complete with sleek, body-hugging De La Espada armchairs. Post-meeting, clients can head over to the free café, stylishly anchored by a Giorgio Carnico marble countertop. Take your pick of Lavazza coffee or TWG tea, accompanied by Janice Wong’s too-pretty-to-eat bonbon creations.
On the floor above lies the rarefied oasis of the Citigold Private Client Centre, exclusive to clients worth above S$1.5 million. The space accordingly takes the luxe up a notch, beginning with the reception counter – a masterpiece of Van Gogh granite swirling with black and gold. Marble planters lead the way to intimate alcoves tucked throughout the garden here, offering plush spots for clients to consult with their dedicated relationship managers. Walnut timber and subtle gold accents give the walls a glossy finish, and an observation deck commands sprawling views of the atrium below.
The back-of-house offices aren’t left out of the tropical party either. To house the bank’s 200-odd relationship managers, floors six and nine feature a range of hot desks and collaborative tables fringed with shade-loving plants. Floor six’s leafy occupants star wavy bird’s nest ferns, arching Boston ferns, and – aptly – money plants, while floor nine soars with slender betel nut palms.
Taking pride of place on the lowest floor is a long table which curves around a lush planter at its heart, together resembling a tropical island which anchors a sea of hot desks. Since these office levels are less open to natural light, grow lights that provide the stimulation of natural sunlight are integrated cleverly into ceiling recesses. In such gorgeous surrounds, we’re betting the Monday blues might not be so bad after all.
Citi Wealth Hub is located at 268 Orchard Road, Singapore 238856, p. +65 6225 5225. Open by appointment Mon-Fri 9.30am–6pm, Sat 9.30am–12pm.
All photos courtesy of KHOOGJ
