The South African Reserve Bank
The South African Reserve Bank is the central bank of the Republic of South Africa. The primary purpose of the Bank is to achieve and maintain price stability in the interest of balanced and sustainable economic growth in South Africa. Together with other institutions, it also plays a pivotal role in ensuring financial stability.
What was the task:
The Reserve Bank was quite literally an ivory tower. Management ate lunch on the top floor in the private dinning room. The rest ate downstairs in the canteen. The new Governor wanted a flat structure, where all employees felt equally valued and all recognise the importance of each of their roles working for the Reserve Bank.
The solution:
We proposed a new canteen for all staff. Using craftsmen, designers and artists, we created artwork, ceramics and carvings to reflect the purpose, values, languages, cultures, locations, currency and all the people of the bank in unique and different ways.
The outcome:
No more top floor private dining room and instead an egalitarian space, albeit an extremely beautiful one, where all employees feel at home and equally valued. Recently, the Governor even had lunch with the air-con repairman.