"In this design, Stonehill & Taylor sought to convey a dignified and elegant, yet simple and straightforward impression to both the bank's staff and its customers," said Neill Parker, Jr., AIA, senior associate at Stonehill & Taylor. "Although it is a high-profile institution in its community, the bank wished to keep its expenditures for its own facility low as a matter of policy. The challenge was to create that ambiance economically -- we wanted to create an interior incorporating both the stone and other appropriately rich materials, which harmonized with it, and still kept the cost down."
Polished Giallo Fiorito granite -- quarried in Brazil; slabbed, finished and cut into 32-inch square tiles by Franco Natucci CMI srl in Carrara, Italy -- was the only material chosen for both interior and exterior applications of the building. "The stone for this project was selected by the builder [Salvatore Calcagno]," said Parker. "He liked its rich colors and bold texture, feeling that its crystalline character would complement the large areas of reflective glass on the facade. It proved to be a perfect choice for the bank, as it harmonized beautifully with the dark stained mahogany that Stonehill & Taylor had hoped to use on the interior."