South Kalimantan Bank Headquarters - Bank Kalsel
Bank Kalsel is located in Banjarmasin, a river city where water is an inseparable part of daily life and the surrounding ecosystem. The dynamic river landscape shapes the city’s character and becomes a key factor influencing the building’s design approach.
This project is an expansion of the existing headquarters, introducing a new building to accommodate growing spatial needs while also serving as a landmark that represents the city’s identity and the region’s economic growth.
Location
South Kalimantan, Indonesia
Programs
Office, Bank
Status
Top 10 Competition Entry
Integrating Environmental Context and Banking Philosophy into the Design
The design concept is inspired by the idea of flow, connecting river flow with cash flow as a representation of Bank Kalsel’s vision to be strong, competitive, and contribute to regional development. The principles of speed and compliance are translated into an efficient and well-organized circulation system.
This sense of flow is expressed through horizontal and vertical spatial connectivity, linking the urban context to the sky garden above. At certain points, the interpretation of a “delta” appears as informal working spaces in the form of gardens, atriums, and double-height spaces integrated with greenery.
Integration of Passive and Active Strategies in Green Building
A green building approach is applied to respond to the hot and humid tropical climate through a combination of passive and active strategies. Green pocket spaces introduce vertical greenery that helps create a cooler microclimate while improving natural air circulation. Sun shading reduces direct solar heat, lowering cooling loads and improving thermal comfort. Meanwhile, solar panels are used as a renewable energy source to support the building’s operations. Together, these strategies create a healthier and more comfortable environment.
Workplace Connectivity
One of the main issues in conventional office building design is the overly rigid arrangement of both interior and exterior spaces, with limited physical and visual connectivity—both horizontally and vertically. As a result, such environments often fail to encourage an innovative and collaborative working culture. This issue has become increasingly relevant in the era of the New Normal, which has prompted us to reconsider how people work and how users perceive office spaces themselves.
Therefore, the design of the Bank Kalsel seeks to address these challenges through the embodiment of the spirit of Gotong Royong, rooted in the local cultural wisdom of Banjarmasin and Bank Kalsel. Much like the active and creative riparian communities whose lives are connected by the river as their vital lifeline, this sense of connectivity is envisioned not only horizontally but also vertically. It aims not only to connect every division and working unit through a spirit of togetherness and mutual support, but also to reconnect people with nature, the existing building, and the urban environment.
The South Kalimantan Bank Headquarters is envisioned not only as a physical landmark, but also as a benchmark for the future direction of sustainable and holistically integrated office building design.