Untitled Document

The four-storied bank is situated on a prominent site in the city at the intersection of Boston’s historic School Street with Washington Street. It faces onto a small new public plaza generated by the radial turn of the road replacing the former right angle junction.

The commission was the result of an invited competition by the bank which had acquired the awkwardly pie-shaped lot for the extension of its adjacent building. The design included the interior renovation of the old building, a new building with a prominent banking hall and headquarters offices above, as well as the triangular small plaza. The remarkably inspiring client was the chairman, the late Robert Morgan, who also had been the commission chairman of the City Hall Building ten years earlier.

The difficult geometric shape of the site generated the concept of a column free space spanned by radiating post tensioned beams supported by an interior core and a ring of eight exterior cast-in-place split columns which define a 65 foot high sky-lit arcade, framing views of the Old South Meeting Hall.

At the interior the banking hall takes up almost the whole area of the site, and is defined by its radial geometry. It is conceived as a city room, and thus emphasizes the public service nature of the building.

The floor of the hall, the lower part of the columns, and all counters are lined with granite of a warm grey, embellishing the concrete surfaces of the walls and structure. The building has recently been converted into a handsome retail bookstore and cafe.

click to see larger image	The four-storied bank is situated on a prominent site in the city at the intersection of Boston’s historic School Street with Washington Street. It faces onto a small new public plaza generated by the radial turn of the road replacing the former right angle junction. The commission was the result of an invited competition by the bank which had acquired the awkwardly pie-shaped lot for the extension of its adjacent building. The design included the interior renovation of the old building, a new building with a prominent banking hall and headquarters offices above, as well as the triangular small plaza. The remarkably inspiring client was the chairman, the late Robert Morgan, who also had been the commission chairman of the City Hall Building ten years earlier. The difficult geometric shape of the site generated the concept of a column free space spanned by radiating post tensioned beams supported by an interior core and a ring of eight exterior cast-in-place split columns which define a 65 foot high sky-lit arcade, framing views of the Old South Meeting Hall. At the interior the banking hall takes up almost the whole area of the site, and is defined by its radial geometry. It is conceived as a city room, and thus emphasizes the public service nature of the building. The floor of the hall, the lower part of the columns, and all counters are lined with granite of a warm grey, embellishing the concrete surfaces of the walls and structure. The building has recently been converted into a handsome retail bookstore and cafe.
	*Project Data* Completion Date: 1973 Total Area: 45,000 sf	Awards: • 1975 Harleston Parker Medal, Boston / BSA Publications: • Architectural Forum, March 1973

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