Okayama Shinkin Bank Uchisange Square (おかやま信用金庫 内山下スクエア)

The building went up for the hundredth anniversary of the Okayama Shinkin Bank, on the plot where it was founded, and houses its Uchisange branch. It opened on 8 April 2013.

The north facade is one large expanse of double glazing, open onto the former Okayama branch of the Bank of Japan, now the Renaiss Hall, which the building takes in as borrowed scenery; the design was planned with this neighbour and the street in mind. A curved lift lobby in exposed concrete rises through three levels; it receives only daylight and the light of lighting slits. On the ground floor, the reception desk and the stands where deposit and withdrawal slips are filled in were also designed by Ando. In the garden, the height of the planting was worked out to hide the surrounding buildings, so that one feels as if in a wood.

The bank still runs its counters there, on the ground floor. The first floor has three reception rooms; on the second, a room is used for training and seminars and also hosts workshops open to customers. The building belongs to a cultural district, with the prefectural museum of art, the city's Orient museum and the Renaiss Hall.

Visits are booked ahead with the branch; depending on its activity or events, they may not be possible. Visits run Monday to Saturday, 9:00 to 17:00 (reception until 16:00); closed on Sundays, public holidays and at year end. The view of the Renaiss Hall from the ground floor can be seen while the counters are open, so a weekday visit is best.