flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Former bank in Alabama becomes modern café

Reconstruction & Renovation

Former bank in Alabama becomes modern café

The building was originally built in 1955.


By David Malone, Associate Editor | March 20, 2018
The old bank compared to the new cafe

A two-story former Regions and First National Bank building is getting a second life as a modern café in Montgomery, Ala. Vintage Hospitality Group owns the building and spearheaded the transformation.

As part of the renovation, the bank building’s terrazzo floors were refurbished and the teller window was transformed into a drive thru. Repurposed safety deposit boxes were used along the front of the counter as an homage to the building’s original function.

Other elements of the bank can be seen in the new café in a bakery display case made from bulletproof glass, a working camera in the height chart by the entrance, the depository box, and the original metal vault gate.

The second floor mezzanine overlooks the entrance and is next to a private room that is available for daytime meeting and parties or receptions and cocktail parties at night. New tables were built out of heart pine from a Fitzpatrick, Ala., barn that was built circa 1875.

Laura Dockery Design was the interior designer and R.F. Pruett Construction was the general contractor.

Related Stories

Adaptive Reuse | Jul 30, 2024

Empty mall to be converted to UCLA Research Park

UCLA recently acquired a former mall that it will convert into the UCLA Research Park that will house the California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy at UCLA and the UCLA Center for Quantum Science and Engineering, as well as programs across other disciplines. The 700,000-sf property, formerly the Westside Pavilion shopping mall, is two miles from the university’s main Westwood campus. Google, which previously leased part of the property, helped enable and support UCLA’s acquisition.

Great Solutions | Jul 23, 2024

41 Great Solutions for architects, engineers, and contractors

AI ChatBots, ambient computing, floating MRIs, low-carbon cement, sunshine on demand, next-generation top-down construction. These and 35 other innovations make up our 2024 Great Solutions Report, which highlights fresh ideas and innovations from leading architecture, engineering, and construction firms.

Laboratories | Jul 3, 2024

New science, old buildings: Renovating for efficiency, flexibility, and connection

What does the research space of the future look like? And can it be housed in older buildings—or does it require new construction?

Smart Buildings | Jul 1, 2024

GSA to invest $80 million on smart building technologies at federal properties

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) will invest $80 million from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into smart building technologies within 560 federal buildings. GSA intends to enhance operations through granular controls, expand available reporting with more advanced metering sources, and optimize the operator experience.

MFPRO+ News | Jun 24, 2024

‘Yes in God’s Backyard’ movement could create more affordable housing

The so-called “Yes in God’s Backyard” (YIGBY) movement, where houses of worship convert their properties to housing, could help alleviate the serious housing crisis affecting many communities around the country.

Mass Timber | Jun 17, 2024

British Columbia hospital features mass timber community hall

The Cowichan District Hospital Replacement Project in Duncan, British Columbia, features an expansive community hall featuring mass timber construction. The hall, designed to promote social interaction and connection to give patients, families, and staff a warm and welcoming environment, connects a Diagnostic and Treatment (“D&T”) Block and Inpatient Tower.

Multifamily Housing | Jun 14, 2024

AEC inspections are the key to financially viable office to residential adaptive reuse projects

About a year ago our industry was abuzz with an idea that seemed like a one-shot miracle cure for both the shockingly high rate of office vacancies and the worsening housing shortage. The seemingly simple idea of converting empty office buildings to multifamily residential seemed like an easy and elegant solution. However, in the intervening months we’ve seen only a handful of these conversions, despite near universal enthusiasm for the concept. 

Adaptive Reuse | Jun 13, 2024

4 ways to transform old buildings into modern assets

As cities grow, their office inventories remain largely stagnant. Yet despite changes to the market—including the impact of hybrid work—opportunities still exist. Enter: “Midlife Metamorphosis.”

Office Buildings | Jun 3, 2024

Insights for working well in a hybrid world

GBBN Principal and Interior Designer Beth Latto, NCIDQ, LEED AP, ID+C, WELL AP, share a few takeaways, insights, and lessons learned from a recent Post Occupancy Evaluation of the firm's Cincinnati, Ohio, office.

MFPRO+ News | Jun 3, 2024

New York’s office to residential conversion program draws interest from 64 owners

New York City’s Office Conversion Accelerator Program has been contacted by the owners of 64 commercial buildings interested in converting their properties to residential use.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category

Libraries

Reasons to reinvent the Midcentury academic library

DLR Group's Interior Design Leader Gretchen Holy, Assoc. IIDA, shares the idea that a designer's responsibility to embrace a library’s history, respect its past, and create an environment that will serve student populations for the next 100 years.



Brick and Masonry

A journey through masonry reclad litigation

This blog post by Walter P Moore's Mallory Buckley, RRO, PE, BECxP + CxA+BE, and Bob Hancock, MBA, JD, of Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr PC, explains the importance of documentation, correspondence between parties, and supporting the claims for a Plaintiff-party, while facilitating continuous use of the facility, on construction litigation projects.


halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021