Bremer Landesbank, Bremen
Caruso St John Architects

From Frankfurt to New York, glass high-rises dominate the financial districts of most cities. Not so in Bremen. Here, the Domshof banking quarter is defined by red sandstone and dark clinker brick. In 2016, London-based Caruso St John Architects added a new building to this heritage-rich setting: the Bremer Landesbank. Clad in brick, the project is a contemporary interpretation of a traditional building typology—the bank.

Address/Directions

Bremer Landesbank
Katharinenstraße 32
28195 Bremen

Directions

“We were the only non-German team in the competition, and the only ones who proposed a brick building—right in the heart of Bremen! That was unexpected. Why design a bank with a white stucco façade in a place like this? As architects, our task is to create buildings that matter in their context.”

Adam Caruso

A Statement in Clinker Brick

Located near the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Bremen’s Town Hall and Roland statue, the Bremer Landesbank is a five-story building with a recessed upper floor and an expressive, undulating façade. Despite its striking presence, the new volume integrates seamlessly into the historic cityscape—thanks in part to its materiality. Brick is a constant across Bremen’s architectural history: from Weser Renaissance to Brick Expressionism to postwar modernism. Even the previous Landesbank headquarters from the 1970s was built in brick.

Beyond the material choice, the design references local architectural icons. The stepped façade and rhythmic window arrangement evoke the historic House of the Bremen Weighing Authority. Vertical brick pilasters stretch upward between convex and concave surfaces, lending the building a Gothic character inspired by the Renaissance stylings of the adjacent Town Hall.

At the building’s most prominent corner, a massive double-height portal marks the entrance—not with classical columns, but with a stepped, sculptural form. What appears from outside as a solid brick block reveals itself inside as a spatial illusion: an inward-folded threshold that tapers gently into the lobby.

A Spatial Sense of Architecture

Caruso St John are known for architecture that speaks to its surroundings. Their work is rooted in the European city and engages with its layered architectural, artistic, and cultural history. This sensibility brings richness and resonance to their buildings—and ensures that new interventions feel deeply embedded in the urban fabric.

At the Bremer Landesbank, this spirit extends from the façade into the interior. Visitors are welcomed by a twelve-meter-long counter made of stained and smoked oak. Warm wood tones are paired with white walls and a stone floor, creating an atmosphere of dignified restraint. The FSB 1015 model by Johannes Potente—popular in the Netherlands—was chosen to complement this aesthetic. Its clean, timeless form underscores the Nordic clarity of the design.

The project began in 2011 with a fundamental rethink of what a bank building could be. The architects introduced a semipublic courtyard at the heart of the structure: a sunken, open-air space accessible to all during the day. The courtyard acts as a threshold between the public realm and the bank’s workspaces. All office areas receive natural light and are oriented either toward the city or the central courtyard.

For clients and staff alike, the highlight lies at the top: reception and dining spaces with panoramic views over Bremen’s historic rooftops.