Raiffeisen Bank Lasa (Laas)

From counter to feel-good bank with the finest Lasa marble

On 5 August 2021, the completely newly refurbished and redesigned interior of the Raiffeisenkasse (Raiffeisen Bank) Lasa (Laas) was opened to customers and members. Included: the finest and most refined Lasa Marmo marble. The client and planners opted for the LASA VENATO FIOR DI MELO^®, LASA BIANCO NUVOLATO^® and LASA BIANCO ORTLES^® varieties to create the surface cladding for floors, counters, walls, window sills and the external staircase. There are even signs made of Lasa marble with engraved and colour-painted text in front of the bank.

The building of the Raiffeisen Bank Lasa (Laas), built between 1979 and 1981, is 40 years old. The interior layout and basic furnishings of the bank, aside from a few changes, were just as old. The previous counter area was characterised by classically arranged, lockable counter areas. For a long time, the board of directors and the staff had wanted to renew the interior of the bank and to adapt it to the contemporary needs of an open and modern financial institution. In addition, there were various problems that had to be dealt with over the years, such as a lack of space, discretion, insufficient soundproofing, energy-related problems with the roof and windows, as well as the lack of air conditioning for the summer months. In November 2020, the implementation of the construction project began for the general contractor Dreika from Bolzano (Bozen), which specialises in bank building projects. The building itself is an architectural jewel. On the façade there are seven mosaics by the artist, Robert Scherer from Corces (Kortsch). These are unique pieces of priceless value that also give the “Raika” (Raiffeisenkasse) Lasa (Laas) a unique face. In the end, the many tasks that the bank's board of directors and planners set themselves were solved brilliantly in cooperation with local companies, with respect and appreciation for the building. The use of refined Lasa marble as a surface material in bank interiors may not be unusual, but here there was the special factor that this most precious of local South Tyrolean building materials is not only quarried in the nearby marble quarries of the bank's own municipality, but also processed in the Lasa Marmo marble factory only a few hundred metres away. On an area of 100 m², the entire floor of the new open plan refurbished counter room was laid floor tiles of the commercial grade LASA VENATO FIOR DI MELO^® mixed with tiles in LASA BIANCO NUVOLATO^®. The centrepiece here is the centrally placed Info Point, which immediately attracts attention due to the simplicity and well-shaped design of the marble floor. In addition, there are the front panels with a thickness of 2 cm for a total of 3 counter tops. The walls clad in imitation oak combine with the marble on the floor to create a warm look and a very special feel-good ambience. Lasa Marmo also manufactured sandblasted wall coverings in 4 cm thickness, all window sills with a polished surface and two information signs for the outside area in 4 cm thickness with engraved and colour-painted text "Bancomat" and "Raiffeisen". After the installation work, the entire marble floor areas were sanded and grouted with synthetic resin. A special feature in the outdoor area is the staircase. The old solid steps in LASA BIANCO ORTLES^® (thickness 15 cm) were remodelled to 4 cm thick treads and steps and equipped with an open-space heating system, so that walking on the steps is safe and free of ice and snow even in the winter months. The exterior design also includes a gravel bed with white Lasa marble chippings. Three sculptures made of Lasa marble were exhibited there by the Lasa (Laas) Bank: "Mother with Children" by the North Tyrolean sculptor Elmar Kopp, made in 1994, "Action and Movement" by the Baden-Württemberg artist Tobias Eder, made in 1991, and a female nude sculpture by the Munich sculptor Hans Ladner. But those are not all of the special features. A real traditional bank, such as the Raiffeisenkasse Lasa (Laas), also includes “images” of the bank's former chairmen and directors. On the first floor at the end of the staircase, they are lined up in order as busts carved in Lasa marble.