Alpha Bank has unveiled a major transformation of its brand and retail experience, combining a new visual identity created by Pentagram with a reimagined branch concept from strategy and design studio Dalziel & Pow.
Guided by the new brand vision, ‘Home of Personalised Progress’, the project marks a new chapter for the 147-year-old Greek financial institution. It positions Alpha Bank as a partner that helps customers move forward on their own terms, with the aim of creating a more contemporary and human brand for current and future generations.
The new identity takes its inspiration from the bank’s cultural heritage, in particular the ancient silver stater of Aegina, the coin that inspired the bank’s original logo in 1972. Pentagram has redrawn the symbol, retaining the understated elegance of its central axis and the subtle asymmetries of the original coin.
The symbol informs every element of the new design system, from the wordmark and custom typeface to the iconography, signage and brand patterns. The new Alpha Sans typeface has been designed in both Greek and Latin versions, and the identity retains the bank’s recognisable Alpha Blue, creating a visual language that can be applied across communications, digital platforms and physical environments.
Dalziel & Pow, whose recent work includes Next’s largest UK store at Bluewater and Islander’s first London store in Covent Garden, has translated the identity into the bank’s branch experience. The first expression is Alpha Bank’s branch in Kolonaki, Athens’ luxury retail and cultural quarter, which reimagines the traditional banking environment as a warmer, more personal and contemporary space.
Dalziel & Pow has created a flexible, modular retail toolkit that guides customers from everyday transactions to more in-depth advice. Self-service facilities, service desks and a digital queue system handle routine banking, with seating, coffee and USB charging available. Dedicated advice zones offer a more private setting for conversations with relationship managers, while acoustic panels and bespoke furniture create varying levels of privacy without the need for fully enclosed meeting rooms on every floor.
Light-toned timber, soft lighting and greenery create a calm atmosphere, while textured panelling and marble reference traditional Greek architecture. The light palette provides a backdrop for the identity, with brand icons and patterns integrated across glass walls and bespoke carpets. In the double-height space, a sculptural light feature offers an abstract interpretation of the bank’s icon.
Upstairs, a dedicated space for Alpha Gold and Business customers takes cues from hospitality and private members’ clubs, creating a more intimate setting for advice and relationship banking. Works from Alpha Bank’s art collection are displayed throughout the branch.
The storefront carries the identity to the street through its blue palette and dimensional signage, with a textured brand pattern adding depth and creating an interplay of light and shadow through the day. The new wordmark and icon form part of a flexible signage toolkit, allowing each branch to respond to its architectural context while maintaining a consistent presence across the network.
“I believe within any project we are eternally searching for the truth in the solution. To discover the truth, you need a client willing to help you go on that journey. The team at Alpha Bank gave us 110% of their time, knowledge and ambition. Without them we would never have managed to find what we were searching for.”
Domenic Lippa, Designer, Pentagram
“Alpha Bank’s rebrand gave us the opportunity to rethink the banking experience through a more human, design-led lens. In Kolonaki, we’ve brought the new identity to life through a careful balance of materiality, light and spatial flow, combining warm, natural finishes with clear zoning that supports different customer needs.”
Oliver Ellis, Associate Creative Director, Dalziel & Pow
Beyond Kolonaki, the concept provides a blueprint for the transformation of Alpha Bank’s network of more than 240 branches across Greece, with a modular approach designed to adapt to different locations and customer needs. The project was developed in close collaboration with local architects A team.
Terry Clark is the Publisher and Content Director of 365 Retail, with more than a decade of experience covering retail design, technology innovations, store openings and the wider retail industry. He also works closely with leading retailers, suppliers, agencies, events and industry awards across the UK.
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