At most bank branches, the interior design is glumly plain – by focusing on the functionality of a waiting area and various desks, financial-service centers rarely inspire visitors to hang out there any longer than they have to. However, a new unit of MagNet Bank – Hungary’s leading community bank – is now open near the riverfront a short stroll away from the Parliament House, and with its inviting interior featuring a complete café full of lush plants and stylish furniture made from recycled materials, we’d be happy to spend a lot of time here.
As we approach the building across from Olimpia Park, the first thing that catches our eye is the beautifully renovated façade and large windows. The management paid particular attention to the environment; they laid small lawns under the trees out front, and missing trees have been replaced with new ones. These are relatively small gestures, but most business owners do not feel any responsibility for their location’s surroundings beyond the doorstep, and thus MagNet sets a very good example with this extra attention, before we even step inside..
The interior is full of furniture and fixtures made with recycled materials, including antique industrial lamps; if we didn’t know this was a bank branch, we could very easily confuse it with any number of trendy new-wave cafés that keep popping up across Budapest in recent years.
As we step in, we are welcomed by a friendly employee. The bank section is positioned on the left, while the right side is occupied by the café, equipped with a wall of live plants and other attractive accessories.
Actively encouraging visitors to take their time here, the shelf is lined with books. These are not just random paperbacks from a secondhand store; among the books, we can find classic and contemporary literature, as well.
The MagNet management thought of the children, too: little ones can keep busy with various toys, storybooks, or doodling on a blackboard at the back of the room, while their parents take care of much less entertaining financial matters.
The café is managed by Ecocafé on Andrássy Avenue, providing a La Marzocco machine, selected coffees, sandwiches, and cookies.It is hard to ignore the scent of PR mixing with the coffee’s fragrance, but MagNet’s new bank branch-café fusion still brings a nice dash of color to Balassi Bálint Street near Kossuth Square – and since bank visits often include a lot of waiting, it is much better to do so in a genuinely pleasant environment, so we would be happy to see this concept adopted by other banks as well.
