Villa Park Bank

Built to last.

Fans will note Mies van der Rohe’s ‘skin and bone’ architecture. Customers of this Harris Bank branch just appreciate all the natural interior light and feeling of spaciousness.

This was a project that Uncle Frank ran back in 1964. Peter Roesch, a former student of van der Rohe, was the architect. As for the design, it was a structural necessity given the poor soil conditions. The overhead trusses, with only four column footings, support the roof plate and allow a clear span interior space.

The bank was revolutionary at the time it was built, offering drive-in banking stations, air-conditioning and, most importantly, flexible space. Fifty years later we take all of that for granted.