Fresh discoveries happen with remote work, I’ve found. As In Business Madison readied to move to a new office last month, I parked myself at numerous spots around the city with my laptop.
The Pinney and Central branches of the Madison Public Library are favorite haunts. I also like to frequent the Rotunda Cafe at Lake Ridge Bank on Atwood Avenue. The lobby has been transformed into a community space with dazzling results: an open atrium with communal tables and comfortable seats, couches, and private conference rooms available to reserve — for free.
That brings me to the one architectural feature of the Frank Riley-designed bank not open to the public, but nevertheless a creative addition: the reimagined bank vault.
Due to technology like online financial transactions and cloud storage for documents, banks no longer have a need for massive rooms to store cash reserves and other valuables.
Now the 10,000 floor-to-ceiling silver safety deposit boxes in the vault are referred to as an “art installation” by bank officials. The vault also features a conference table designed by a local artist and constructed from felled ash trees. The vault door is always open, and draws a viewer’s eye with well-designed lighting.
Credit Melissa Destree of Destree Design Architects with the transformation of the interior, and finding a use for the immovable vault.
Paul Hoffmann, president of Lake Ridge Bank, said Destree took “one of the most secure, bunker-like things and turned it on its head… into a light box.”
That prompted me to think of other businesses that use bank vaults in unique ways. At the downtown Madison restaurant Lucille on King Street, the basement vault is outfitted as a swanky bar nook, part of a renovation by OPN Architects. The space, which features U-shaped, velvet banquette seating within the old vault, is typically open on weekend nights and can be rented for private parties.
Converting these massive security boxes is no easy feat. When JG Development moved into its new office building in 2023, a former State Bank of Cross Plains on South Junction Road in Madison, the vault initially appeared to be a clumsy obstacle — a box with four-foot concrete walls.
But ingenuity prevailed.
The general contractor, which has commercial and residential divisions, converted the vault into what the company calls its Speakeasy. The pocket room features a bar and includes elements like a table made from a whiskey barrel. It’s tucked right next to a conference room.
“It has a very attractive aesthetic that our clients are excited to see,” said Brescia Berg, marketing and communications director for JG Development. “We’ve used it to commemorate milestone moments or exciting achievements for our company and our clients.”
These vaults are architectural elements that remind us of past eras. Preserving them in innovative ways is another nod to the creativity at work in Madison’s design community.
Like these historic vaults, Joe Vanden Plas’ story on Quarra Stone this month features monuments that are built to stand the test of time. Whether reimagining a historic piece of architecture or carving something new, these efforts are worth your attention.
In addition, Brittney Kenaston’s cover story on Own It: Building Black Wealth is a must-read. Learn how an innovative group of realtors, financial institutions, and community partners are helping first-time homebuyers achieve their dreams.
Enjoy the issue!
