Palos Bank and Trust, Mokena, Illinois
Owner: Palos Bank and Trust Company Architect: Architectural Resource Corporation Building Type: Banking Facility Building Area: 4,528 S.F. Date of Completion: September 2003
The lobby is the focal point of the cruciform-axis plan, surrounded by offices and other support-function spaces, which allows for direct access to all services without additional corridor space between back offices.
The clerestory band floods the lobby and conference room with indirect light, while forming a counterpoint to the long horizontal line of the fascia. The façade is articulated by a wainscoting of manufactured stone masonry with brick walls capped by a horizontal stringcourse of limestone that ties together the piers and masses of the building. Despite the low slope of the roof, mechanical equipment, vents, and ducts are hidden in wells near the ridge. At the main entrance, the broad arched window alludes to the rural Prairie style bank designs of Louis Sullivan, and the deeply cantilevered canopy compresses space, heightening the impact of the 2-story lobby.
The custom-built interior finishes compliment the building's Prairie style and include a conference table inlaid to match the floor tile pattern, and wood trimmed columns alluding to Wright's Oak Park Unity Temple.