Giattina Aycock Architecture Studio Corporate Projects
FIRST COMMERCIAL BANK HEADQUARTERS
“Clumsy” and “awkward” effectively described this 1974 institutional building when it was purchased in 1993 by a local partnership. With its prime location along a major artery, this building has sizeable potential. The owner’s objective was to transform the existing building into the corporate headquarters for a local bank and upper-end multi-tenant rental space. Giattina Aycock Architecture Studio, Inc. designed a plan to transform the building with three major goals in mind: to improve the overall appearance from the highway; to have more appeal and a sense of “place” at the pedestrian level; and to bring coherence to the interior.
The biggest challenge was to keep 90% of the existing structure and still transform its essential proportions and character. Introducing a small triangular plan element clad in glass, which rose the height of the building and served to integrate the building’s existing blunt “nose” into its mass, and made the old building appear new. The architects then designed a brick pattern which mimics a tapestry, folding neatly around the building. Texture, shadow, depth and material changes helped turn the new façade into a comprehensive solution.
Inside, the bank’s lobby includes a monumental stair which connects to executive offices on the second floor and serves as a portal to the operations center in the rear. Existing structural columns were incorporated as a partition between personal banking service zones.
Together, the bank’s new headquarters brings efficiency to their business operations, develops brand identity, and integrates employees with the clients they serve.
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