If you haven’t driven to Saratoga Springs in a long time, you have a surprise coming. This is especially true if your image of Saratoga Springs is hot springs, swimming pools, a dance hall, arcades, amusement rides, and a giant water slide.
Saratoga Hot Springs is credited as Utah’s oldest resort. Located on hot springs near the source of the Jordan River by Utah Lake, it was established in 1884 as Beck’s Saratoga Hot Springs. It evolved from a place to heal in the natural spring water baths to a swimming and amusement resort that closed in 1995. Developers eyed the area for creating a new community, and it was incorporated in late 1997 and became a city in 2001. In the 2020 census, nearly 38,000 people called it home, and it’s still growing fast.
Utah County’s Central Bank has been around since 1891, nearly as long as the hot springs resort. For a new bank to serve the growing community, it commissioned Harris Architecture for the design and interiors (Lynn LeMone) and Rimrock Construction for building it. The above photo looks to the main entrance.
This aspect of the building looks to the busy corner intersection and establishes its community presence. The square tower with the steel cross braces houses the conference room.
This photograph captures a side of the building without an important entrance or signage. I took this view because of how well the elements of the building and the materials merge architecturally.
Earlier banks, such as those constructed in 1891 when Central Bank first opened, were imposing buildings with high ceilings, marble and granite, and metal gates and bars. I notice when I am in one of these historical banks that people speak in respectful hushed tones, possibly feeling a little intimidated by the building’s formality. Contrast the past designs to this current bank. As you enter, you approach this reception desk with a section of suspended wooden ceiling that lowers the scale. The desk is wide and open with warm woods. The combined effect is one of a friendly welcome.
This is a side view of the reception desk seen in the preceding shot and a matching desk behind it. The view between the two desks looks to a waiting area.
This detail of the waiting area also shows the design of the private offices. The exterior and interior walls are floor-to-ceiling glass panes. This again suggests openness and transparency. The concrete in the partial wall, the brick wall behind, and the black metal are all materials used on the exterior.
The main level conference room makes use of the space created by the square glass tower. You can see the crossbeams that I pointed out for the exteriors. Three sides are floor-to-ceiling glass, and again wooden ceiling is suspended over the table for a more people-friendly scale.
The design emphasizes functionality with an overall sense of friendly openness, honest use of materials, and care with scale.