THE 12 months since the Royal Bank of Scotland International unveiled its new building do not appear to have taken any of the shine off it. ‘I think it’s the best building on the island’ said RBSI managing director Alex Rodger.

‘For the clients who come in off-island, there is the ‘wow’ factor. It sells itself to a certain extent.

‘Before it was a large, deteriorating site – it was a bit of an eyesore. We wanted to do something as an institution and make a statement to the business community.’

Built on five floors, it has an open-plan design and views of Herm and St Peter Port.

‘For communication it’s absolutely fantastic. It’s all open-plan and there is a huge amount of natural light. You simply can’t compare it to the previous building.’

Mr Rodger said it was important for the bank to remain in the Town centre to maintain its image as a high street bank.

Previously, the bank’s departments had been located in different parts of St Peter Port.

‘The staff can have pride in using a state-of-the-art building that allows people to easily communicate with each other,’ he said.

They have access to a canteen, underground parking and showers and many were pleased with the design of the new building.

‘I’m really pleased,’ said Scott Philpott, who works in the corporate and commercial sector.

‘It helps having all the staff in one building, and it exceeds all of our clients’ expectations.’

Business development manager Jason Le Ray agreed, saying he was eager to bring clients in to show them around.

Cashier Steishi Churchill, who had been employed for just over a week, said the staff communal areas made it easier to get to know other staff.

RBSI Group property manager Katherine Torode said it was a world-class building.

‘It’s easily on a par with anything else in the UK and is a fabulous working environment,’ she said.