The challenge was to inspire both visitors and users by designing something completely out of the ordinary, stimulating open-minded attitudes. The phrase “ICEC is different!” was the enthusiastic start of the design for the interior of the new Experience Center for ING. The experience center is used to enhance innovation of the bank. At the same time it gives customers an experience of what the future of banking could be like. For the design this implied all sorts of different spaces needed to be developed. Special connections - such as the tunnel and staircase - as well as a succession of experiences in the interior design, stimulate cross-pollination between teams, startups and partners.
One of the main goals was to design the new entrance as a “contamination zone”. One of the other goals was to raise a feeling of amazement which starts upon entering ICEC through an obscure, 15 meter long tunnel, that gets more narrow towards the end and feels almost like a wormhole. This way of entering the Experience Center, ensures one will be contaminated with all of the innovation taking place inside.
