Comments on: Alton Mid-Century Bank http://www.beltstl.com/2008/09/alton-il-mid-century-bank/ Built Environment in Layman's Terms Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:32:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.5 By: mesmertron http://www.beltstl.com/2008/09/alton-il-mid-century-bank/comment-page-1/#comment-798 mesmertron Fri, 12 Dec 2008 02:56:00 +0000 http://www.beltstl.com/?p=193#comment-798 Wow, looks like a trip to Alton soon. The glazed bricks are great. Wow, looks like a trip to Alton soon. The glazed bricks are great.

]]> By: Doug Duckworth http://www.beltstl.com/2008/09/alton-il-mid-century-bank/comment-page-1/#comment-758 Doug Duckworth Wed, 10 Sep 2008 22:15:00 +0000 http://www.beltstl.com/?p=193#comment-758 Might be my favorite building in Alton. Might be my favorite building in Alton.

]]> By: Tony Renner http://www.beltstl.com/2008/09/alton-il-mid-century-bank/comment-page-1/#comment-755 Tony Renner Tue, 09 Sep 2008 13:33:00 +0000 http://www.beltstl.com/?p=193#comment-755 beautiful photos of a really cool building. <br/><br/>-- tony beautiful photos of a really cool building.

– tony

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.beltstl.com/2008/09/alton-il-mid-century-bank/comment-page-1/#comment-754 Anonymous Mon, 08 Sep 2008 04:57:00 +0000 http://www.beltstl.com/?p=193#comment-754 Arquitectonica wishes it had that level of nuance. Arquitectonica wishes it had that level of nuance.

]]> By: Robert Powers http://www.beltstl.com/2008/09/alton-il-mid-century-bank/comment-page-1/#comment-753 Robert Powers Sun, 07 Sep 2008 16:18:00 +0000 http://www.beltstl.com/?p=193#comment-753 At first I read the title as "Atomic Mid-Century Bank", which would be only a few years off, really. At first I read the title as “Atomic Mid-Century Bank”, which would be only a few years off, really.

]]> By: Vanishing STL http://www.beltstl.com/2008/09/alton-il-mid-century-bank/comment-page-1/#comment-752 Vanishing STL Sat, 06 Sep 2008 15:04:00 +0000 http://www.beltstl.com/?p=193#comment-752 This is one of those cases where my views on modern architecture are torn. On one hand, this is a strikingly beautiful building in form and materials. I especially love the stepped canopy from the rear of the building to the parking lot, acknowledging that many of the customers would be arriving by car… and that the parking is appropriately located in the rear. If only we could get banks and other businesses to build in this manner today, instead of being plunked down toward the back of a sea of asphalt that separates the buildings from the street. <br/><br/>On the flip side though, this sculptural building is just that, a sculpture. It breaks the storefront lined edge of the downtown streetscape and is set back with a lawn in front. These kinds of breaks wreak havok on traditional downtown “main street” shopping districts. It is a literal snap shot in time of an evolution that destroyed urbanism in America. <br/><br/>It is however still a beautiful building, and extremely well preserved, and I hope it finds a loving new owner/tenant who appreciates it for what it is. This is one of those cases where my views on modern architecture are torn. On one hand, this is a strikingly beautiful building in form and materials. I especially love the stepped canopy from the rear of the building to the parking lot, acknowledging that many of the customers would be arriving by car… and that the parking is appropriately located in the rear. If only we could get banks and other businesses to build in this manner today, instead of being plunked down toward the back of a sea of asphalt that separates the buildings from the street.

On the flip side though, this sculptural building is just that, a sculpture. It breaks the storefront lined edge of the downtown streetscape and is set back with a lawn in front. These kinds of breaks wreak havok on traditional downtown “main street” shopping districts. It is a literal snap shot in time of an evolution that destroyed urbanism in America.

It is however still a beautiful building, and extremely well preserved, and I hope it finds a loving new owner/tenant who appreciates it for what it is.

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