Newburyport 5¢ Savings
Bank Addition
State Street, Newburyport, MA

The addition, done in 1984, was the first building in the downtown historic district to be designed in a contemporary style.

The banking hall is bisected by an arched ceiling, rising to the historic bank’s parapet, which accommodates floor height transitions. The arched ceiling also contains a skylight that allows daylight into the administrative spaces. The two story banking hall is separated from the sidewalk by a colonnade and glass/wood curtain wall. There is a basement multiuse public meeting space, entered from a broad circular stair that descends through a sunken corner atrium. Throughout the building the bank displays its collection of restored Audubon wildlife prints and other local artifacts.

The Bank required additional administrative space and a larger director’s room in 1993. This additional space was accomplished by adding a curved mezzanine floor within the banking hall, coinciding with the curvature of the teller’s counter and work area below.