Photo Friday: Banking on Design

The design of a new bank in Southern Utah offers a welcoming, sophisticated, homelike atmosphere.

I could describe most of the banks I have visited in the past as foreboding and intimidating, especially in my childhood. You know the kind: granite outside and inside polished wood, brass, marble, and sometimes bars separating customers from tellers. People spoke in hushed echoed voices. Then, in my early adult years, bank architecture shifted toward brutalism: massive steel and rough-finished concrete with few windows. Whether it’s true, I was told the fortress-like lack of windows came about after the student riots of the 1960s as a reaction to protesters who attacked banks. And now progress—banks that are beautiful to the eye and a pleasure to enter and transact business. 

Today I am featuring the newly constructed State Bank of Southern Utah in Washington, the growing city abutting Saint George to the east. The bank has strong horizontal lines in the tradition of America’s Prairie architecture, window and entry door overhangs to shield the hot Southern Utah sun, and varied and ample tinted windows that swath the interiors with daylight without letting in glaring light and too much heat. FFKR Architects (Ben Rogers and Scott Gilberg) designed the bank, Watts Construction built it, and HB Workspaces executed the interiors.

Moving to the southeast corner, the glass continues up to make the interior space visible in the evening. The drive-through bays continue the horizontal lines. 

The same careful attention to detailing is seen in the rear of the building with the massing, overhangs, fenestration, and architectural lighting. 

Entering, the main floor is open-planned, similar to contemporary upscale residences. The lobby is defined by the opening in the ceiling, accented by the hanging sculptural lighting, and furnished by a reception desk. 

Turning to the right from the reception desk are the teller stations, where the tall desks accommodate two tellers each. Behind is the workspace for drive-through banking, and to the right are desks for bank staff to meet with customers. 

To the left of the reception desk is a waiting area and various office spaces for privately meeting with banking officials.

A glass parapet maintains transparency as you climb up to the second floor with views to the south entirely open from the floor to ceiling windows.

At the top of the stairway is a lounge and waiting area furnished with a rounded back sectional back-to-back with a rounded back sofa. On this floor a corner glassed in conference room has views to two directions, and there is additional office space on the perimeter. This represents a change of thinking from earlier offices I photographed where the corners were dedicated to prestigious executive offices and conference rooms were frequently windowless. 

I was fortunate to be able to photograph the bank in the late afternoon. After photographing a great deal of desert architecture in Arizona, I have a personal bias where I find everything in the desert is more beautiful closest to sunset and sunrise. The air feels and smells better, flowers open, the birds and animals come out, and it the light and shadows are exquisite. It’s the time of day I like to make photos.