While private banks are working hard to attract clients and garner AUM, the competition goes beyond financial metrics, transcending into client experience and staff engagement.

Previously, APB highlighted a selection of the most impressive private banking offices in the region, showcasing their unique features.

With over two thousand votes, APB’s readers crowned UBS Singapore at Penang Road, featuring an extensive suite of amenities and prominent artworks, as the best private banking office in Singapore.

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UBS Singapore (9 Penang Road)

Having been an active art collector since the 1960s, UBS Singapore has filed its client floor and office with works from 1974 to the present. The bank has lent works to major art museums and cultural institutions for public exhibitions. Exhibited in UBS’s offices globally, the UBS Art Collection currently includes more than 30,000 works, including recent commissions by Singaporean artists Hilmi Johandi and Dawn Ng, and Hong Kong artists Tsang Kin-Wah and Stephen Wong Chun Hei.

Level three of UBS Singapore is dedicated to melding wellness and work. On top of mothers’ rooms and family-friendly recreation zones allowing bankers to manage family responsibilities and work, it also houses a fully-equipped medical clinic and an in-house gym, providing studio classes and personal training, physiotherapy, massage therapy, and nutritional consultation sessions for employees.

The UBS University, a space garnished with advanced technology to foster a continuous learning culture and brainstorming, is located in the bank’s office for greater convenience and accessibility. While the room includes a TEDx Screen and two multi-functional rooms with collapsible dividers to accommodate large-scale events, the office has a separate auditorium for large-scale meetings with employees, industry partners, and clients.

With 50 years of history in Singapore, the bank moved into its current office in 2020, housing approximately 5,000 employees and bringing its local businesses under one roof.

J.P. Morgan Private Bank (CapitaSpring)

Embedded with real-time air quality sensors and automated sunscreens, as well as a contemporary client centre, high-tech collaborative spaces, mini markets and wellness areas equipped with ergonomic resting pods, CapitaSpring contains J.P. Morgan’s ten-floor office.

For the sake of well-being, CapitaSpring dedicates a library, family lounge, cafeteria, marketplace, a games area, and a prayer room for its staff.

CapitaSpring’s client centre is filled with J.P. Morgan’s corporate art and history collection. The heart of the client centre lies in a room inspired by the Chinese money box, which people use to guard their valuables. The room exhibits historic money and cultural trading objects by different populations over a period of 2,500 years. To J.P. Morgan, the room is an emblem of customised asset and legacy protection as well as wealth creation across generations.

“The relocation two years ago has been able to accommodate the growing team in Singapore and aligns with the pace of broader global growth,” said Paul Thompson, head of Singapore and Southeast Asia at J.P. Morgan Private Bank. “Demonstrating the bank’s commitment to the region and growing the industry’s best talent, the office space is focused on employee wellness to deliver seamless client service.”

Julius Baer (Marina One and ONE@Changi City)

Julius Baer offers staff a mothers’ room and a multi-faith room for privacy and comfort, alongside equipping its office with height-adjustable desks and ergonomic chairs to facilitate healthy work environments.

Julius Baer’s offices are also enhanced by a curated Swiss art collection to celebrate and reflect its cultural heritage. The office is designed with eco-friendly materials to champion sustainability and energy efficiency.

Cross-team collaboration zones are placed throughout the office to support spontaneous interaction and spark creativity, as well as opportunities for team-building and connections across departments and teams. Meeting rooms at Julius Baer are also equipped with the latest technology that embraces eco-friendliness.

Citi Wealth Hub (268 Orchard Rd)

Citi Wealth Hub is the US bank’s largest wealth advisory hub globally, accented by a biophilic design and an indoor conservatory to facilitate conversations with clients, lifestyle events, as well as investment workshops. The choreographed greenery is designed to create an environment that appears to thrive naturally and sustainably, nodding to the ideals of wealth management.

Spanning 2,275 square metres, the wealth hub comprises Citigold Centre, seminar rooms, lounge and discussion spaces, as well as an observation deck, a garden pod and a feature bar.

Previously known as Yen San Building, Citi Singapore previously had a branch at this same location from 1988 to 2005. The bank later moved back to the same address in 2020 with the aims of business growth and elevated banking experiences.

Accommodating clients with AUM ranging from S$250,000 to over S$1.5 million, the wealth hub is dedicated to Citigold and Citigold Private Client customers, falling under Citibank Singapore.

Bank of Singapore (Head office, 63 Market Street)

At Bank of Singapore, level 16 features various collaboration areas for employees to hang out and exchange ideas, honing creativity and ideation. The open space also has a table tennis area, allowing staff to enjoy a game amid a hectic work day.

To facilitate content creation, Bank of Singapore’s office houses a multimedia studio equipped with state-of-the-art technology.

UOB Private Bank (Suite, UOB Plaza 1)

Launched in May 2014, UOB’s Private Bank Suite offers a space for clients and is designed to display a sense of exclusivity, professionalism, and comfort. To shape the desired aesthetic and mood, the bank put careful thought into the choice of music, scent, furniture, F&B offerings and views. With personalised services offered by butlers as well as a private bar, the F&B menu changes every six months to provide a new gastronomical experience.

Among the art pieces in the suite are photos taken by Russell Wong, one of the most prominent photographers in Singapore. Photos depict the past and present of Singapore, from a third to first-world country and from iconic streets to celebrated landmarks to directly symbolise the 90-year growth journey of UOB. Created with photos taken by Wong, two installations featuring the Singapore Botanic Gardens are in the common walkway.

The UOB Private Bank Suite also includes common lounge areas for discussions and private enclosed suites for confidential chats. Bankers are encouraged to work in the area for a change of environment, group discussions, and internal collaborations.

EFG (Singapore branch, 79 Robinson Road)

Moving into the space in October 2020, EFG’s 46,309 square feet office features 13 meeting rooms in total, some of them offering sweeping views of the South China Sea.

Other than the functional office rooms, the location has a staff pantry and training area. For staff to relax, the office offers a recreational area, complete with a pool table, football table, and Xbox.