On March 1st, 2015 at 7:01pm, photographer/artist Jamie Diamond received an email from Mr. Dick Stanley, incorrectly assuming she was Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JP Morgan Chase, asking why there were no Chase Banks in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In response to his email, the artist traveled to Albuquerque and explored potential sites for development; later deciding to enlist a group of architects to imagine theoretical design Chase Bank Branches in an attempt to fill the Albuquerque vacuum. The resulting project will be called, “The Dick Stanley Request” with the final works existing as a series of NFTs to be sold on the Opensea Marketplace.
The proposal by 222 East Design explores the following::
COVID has impacted our interactions with the physical world in ways that we are still discovering. This new reality has expedited the use and fluidity of technology into our everyday lives from Working from Home, shopping for clothes and food, consuming entertainment and even how we bank…No different than a standard brick and mortar retail store, bank branches are gradually moving towards obsolescence as our personal and business transactions become more digitized. Even prior to the Pandemic, major financial institutions have been rethinking products and services offered within retail centers with a higher focus on ‘smart environments’ that incorporate various forms of technology [AI, SaaS, the Cloud, etc.] combined with curated customer focused experiences
The proposed Jaimito | Unser Chase Bank Branch, located at the cross sections of Avenue de Jaimito Road Unser Boulevard NW, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is a site specific theoretical architectural insertion that explores the future notion of a commercial bank existing between the duality of the physical realm and the virtual…or more precisely--the MetaVerse.
Chase customers requiring an in-person banking experience can visit the physical location by appointment only; where a maximum of two clients can visit the branch at one time. Clients who prefer to conduct their banking electronically, are welcomed into the Jaimito | Unser MetaVerse alternate where there is no limit to the number of visiting patrons. In both the physical and ‘meta’ realities of the Branch, all transactions are electronic via personal devices and require multi-tiered security access. Both the real and surreal programmatic iterations of the proposed Albuquerque Bank are identical. A minimal concrete footprint is placed within the landscape while the interior fit-out is purposely bare allowing for pre-scheduled private banking appointments and when not conducting Bank business; an exclusive venue for the larger Albuquerque community.
Formerly, Jaimito | Unser’s physical form from its plan, detailed screens, patterning and exterior brise soleil take abstracted cues from Chase’s iconic octagon logo--designed in 1961 by the firm Chermayeff & Geismar Associates. At the center of every corporation is its brand identify and in the case of bank branches, they exist fundamentally as consumer centers and opportunities for marketing--no different than a coffee or hamburger chain. By reinterpreting the Chase Logo at the Jaimito Unser Branch, the bank itself becomes the physical + metaphysical embodiment of the corporation’s identity in its purest form.
LOCATION
Jaimito | Unser Branch. [freestanding + virtual]
Intersection of Ave. de Jaimito and Unser Blvd NW
Albuquerque, NM. 87114
BRANCH HOURS
M-F | 9:00am-4:00pm
By-Appointment Only
Sat | 9:00am-1:00pm
By-Appointment Only
Sun | CLOSED
BRANCH SERVICES
Chase Private Client
Chase for Business
no ATM Service; online only
Concept Design NFT: 222 East Society
Site Photography by Jamie Diamond
Rendering Services: @CIDESTUDIO