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Celtic Bank Facade
Celtic Bank Facade
Celtic Bank Facade
Celtic Bank Facade
A century of sandstone, held together by what surrounds it.
The Brooks Arcade Building sits on the corner of State Street and 300 South, one of the more recognizable corners in downtown Salt Lake City. The historic sandstone facade dates back to the nineteenth century. In the 2000s, the interior was completely demolished and rebuilt from the ground up, with the stone walls held in place by temporary shoring while a new building rose inside them.
Celtic Bank, who owns the building, came to us wanting to refresh the exterior. Paint came up early in all of our minds as a quick and easy way to make a big impact, but after some consideration we pushed back on this initial idea. The sandstone that forms this building is the same material running through so many older Salt Lake buildings, and covering it felt like the wrong direction. Instead, we went looking at everything else.
On the historic facade we replaced the curtain wall with a thermally efficient glazing system and designed new awnings integrated directly into each opening. The awnings are lit from the underside, so after dark the building glows at street level in a way it never did before. Mullions went from silver to dark, which reads much quieter against the stone.
The 2000s addition wrapping the west and north sides of the building is stucco, a completely different material and character. The curtain wall there was still in good shape, so we left it. What we added was a painted black band running the full length of that facade, aligned with the height of the glazing openings on the historic side. It carries the visual rhythm of the stone building into a part of the block that previously had nothing to say.
The west alley connecting 300 South to Gallivan Avenue used to be overlooked, the kind of passage people moved through quickly or avoided at night. To bring it back to life, we started from scratch, ripping the paving out entirely. We widened the corridor, brought in planters along the garage wall with seating built into the concrete surround, and added sconce lighting between the entrances. The black banding from the facade continues into the paving as dark strips crossing the walkway at each opening. The geometry of the building extends down to the ground.
All of the details tie each piece of this corner together: the once-neglected alleyway, the historic sandstone, the 2000’s-era addition, it all manages to speak the same language and be a part of a singular voice.
Project Data
Project Number
2347
Project Title
Celtic Bank Facade
Project Location
Salt Lake City, Utah
Project Size/Area
Facade
Project Type
Facade Upgrade
Project Status
Built
Project Duration
1 year
Completion Year
2024
Project Budget
$1,300,000
Client
Celtic Bank Corporation
Design
Modern Out West
Construction
United Contractors
Electrical
Elemental Electrical