After the collapse of several major financial institutions set off the global recession in 2008, 'bank' became a dirty word. But the 121-year-old Kansas City'based Missouri Bank and Trust (MO Bank) has long operated counter to today's perception of 'banking,' emphasizing its relationship with its customers, who are largely small business owners. In 2008, MO Bank set out to update its offices, which 'really didn't represent the character of the bank anymore,' says Jay Tomlinson, founding principal of Kansas City'based Helix Architecture + Design. But the bank's public image wasn't MO Bank president Grant Burcham's sole concern: 'Redesigning became really important to our internal culture, too.'
To create a more inviting look and feel in each of three offices, Helix opened up floor plans to allow tellers and customers to interact with less formality and specified furnishings and finishes in MO Bank's signature shade of green. At the Brookside branch, which is located in a dense, urban section of Kansas City, Helix added a drive-through with transparent glazing that creates greater intimacy in what are usually grab-and-dash transactions.
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