2008 FAB AWARD – Small Commercial

20 Below Studio

Alliance Bank

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What makes this small St. Paul commercial project with a tiny retail component fresh, artistic and brilliant? It presents a fresh approach to the idea of personal banking. A more comfortable and inviting experience was introduced to feel less like an impersonal retail experience and more like a service based hotel. Artistically, what is most impactful is not only what was done but also what was left untouched. A light hand was used with keen sensitivity to the existing midcentury aesthetic. This restraint drove the design – producing a large gesture without being heavy-handed. The results that are arguably most brilliant in this project stem from the biggest challenges. For example - with a large enough budget, the large concrete vault might have been demolished and removed. It remains, and with it an incredible opportunity. The vault has become a powerful icon for the bank, standing for solidity, strength and the security associated with a modern financial institution.

The Alliance Bank project was completed with a great deal of attention paid to preservation and reuse. To this end, all original terrazzo flooring remains, as does the massive concrete vault and walls of historic safety deposit boxes. The existing terrazzo is complemented by the addition of classic finishes such as wood and marble, while the vault and walls of deposit boxes were given new life and repurposed. The massive concrete vault, an impediment to many potential tenants, became a conference room, lounge, and meeting space. The wall of historic deposit boxes became a beautiful decorative element, as did the immense vault doors.

In order to create a strong link between the first floor office and retail level and the 15th floor private banking and executive offices, the design team repeated design elements and materials to reinforce that connection. A palette of walnut paneling, rich crimson, and bronze was repeated on both floors and in the public and reception spaces to reinforce this relationship and provide contrast to the existing terrazzo and light-colored vault. Scale, texture, and color were used to introduce intimacy and a human scale to the space. Heavily textured fabric wallcovering and natural walnut paneling, both common to mid-century interiors, are used as a means of exemplifying quality and attention to the clients’ experience in the space. Carpets atop existing terrazzo floors and residentially-scaled lighting also provided opportunities to enrich and impart a warm space. This type of finish and detailing was needed to communicate quality but with appropriate constraint, and in a way that is appropriate for this long-standing St. Paul institution.

DESIGN TEAM & SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS

Michael Sullivan Project Designer
Joseph Hamilton Project Architect
Kevin Rolfes Project Manager
Heather Rose-Dunning Designer
Tara Thorson Designer

United Properties General Contractor
Paul’s Architectural Woodcraft Millwork
Skilcraft Plus Co. Bank Equipment
Nordquist Sign Company, Inc. Signage
Egan Companies Electrical
Intereum Systems Furniture
S&T Office Products Ancillary Furniture
St. Paul Linoleum & Carpet Co. Carpet & Flooring
Terrazzo & Marble Supply Co. Stone

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