The Bank & Trust

Project Name

The Bank & Trust

Square Footage:

9,874

Location:

Bryan, Texas

Category:

About This Project

The building that housed Clayton’s Restaurant, a 1957 diner from the golden age of Modern architecture, typified the flat roofs and long horizontal lines of that mid-century style. Later a fine-dining establishment, the building has since functioned as a bank for the last four decades. Sixty years of renovation removed most of the building’s character. The Bryan-College Station-based architectural design team of The Arkitex Studio worked to restore the original horizontality and massing while updating usability. The new form highlights the prominent tower by accentuating the canopy and fascia’s horizontal forms and removing the entry’s non-original mansard roof and pediment. Anodized aluminum adds a clean-edged modern character while stepped “fins” rise through the roof. The tower, long missing its neon-lit revolving sign, received a glowing “lantern” element especially visible during evening hours. Dark hallways and offices once crowded the interior. The renovation increased the percentage of workspaces with exterior windows from 15% to 80% and with interior windows from 40% to 100%. The open office design concept also improved workspace function, communication, and quality. An office expansion into the old drive-through teller station added a new boardroom, which is flooded with natural light from large windows. The building has been modernized while revitalizing its modern past.

The Arkitex Studio was honored to be selected as winners of a Design Award from AIA Brazos in 2011 for this renovation project.