Sugamo Shinkin Bank, Ekoda branch, by Emmanuelle Moureaux, Tokyo

Japan-based French architect Emmanuelle Moureaux is no stranger to commercial interiors. The Sugamo Shinkin Bank commissioned the architect to design three of its Tokyo branches, including two new-builds in Tokiwadai and Niiza.

When the bank approached Moureaux to design a fourth branch, in Ekoda, the architect jumped at the opportunity. Customer service sits at the heart of the company, an approach that fits perfectly with Moureaux's ethics. 'I wanted to create a bank the customers feel happy to visit,' she says.

The Ekoda branch was recently completed at the centre of one of Tokyo's busiest commercial districts. Drawing inspiration from the area's bustling activity, the architect worked on a design that would blend inside and outside. Moureaux's sleek glass façade provides instant visual access, and by pushing the main building back from the pavement by 2m, she created extra breathing room for a grand entrance.

Moureaux filled it with colourful 9m-tall columns - the use of colour being one of the architect's recurring fascinations. The 29 columns adorning the building's entrance are matched by another 19 placed inside the building, all painted playfully in rainbow colours. As visitors walk in, they are greeted by a glazed, bamboo-planted internal courtyard that offers lots of natural light and an airy, relaxed atmosphere.

The cleverly layered entrance, in combination with the splashes of colour from the columns, makes for a bright, pleasing environment that is as open and welcoming as the architect and her clients intended.

Street view of exterior — The Japan-based French architect had already designed three branches for the Japanese bank before they invited her to design the Ekoda branch

The building's front wall was pushed back by 2m to create extra breathing space for the bank's grand entrance

Side view of building and side walk — Moureaux adorned the new entrance courtyard with 29 colourful columns

Exterior view of inside seating area — Clever use of colour is a key characteristic of Moureaux's work

The layered entrance path leads visitors through to a bamboo-planted courtyard, which features another 19 colourful columns

Interior seating area — The relaxed seating area inside the branch is bright and comfortable

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Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).