IDEAS

From Bank Building to Alumni Center

by Martha MacDonald
in the Traditional Building
May/June 2002

History

Designed and built in 1876 — in less than a year to be ready in time for the United States Centennial celebration — the Centennial bank building was the work of Frank Furness, a flamboyant Philadelphia architect known for his unconventional designs. After serving the community as a bank for 100 years, the building was acquired by Drexel University in the mid-1970s. It then fell into a period of neglect until 1997, when Voith & Mactavish Architects (V&M) were brought on board to bring it back to life.

Cameron J. Mactavish, AIA , principal in charge of the project, and John H. Cluver, AIA, project manager, found that the restoration actually took longer than the original construction: 1–1/2 years. The restored building, now the Paul Peck Alumni Center for Drexel University, reopened in May of 2000. The $3.5 million project was made possible by a generous donation from Paul Peck, a Drexel alumnus, who was an “inspiration” to the project.

The renovation involved extensive masonry work, including brownstone and interior and exterior brickwork, as well as the creation of a new two-story 4,100 sq. ft. addition; designed to coordinate with the original Furness style, it marked the third addition to the building, along with previous add-ons from 1899 and 1920. “There were tremendous technical challenges,” says Mactavish, another Drexel alumnus, “particularly with the original masonry...”

The first step was to clean the entire exterior of the building...Next, the original stone was chiseled back to sound material ... mortar was added in layers to bring the stone out to the original plane It was then carefully matched for color and tooled to the original texture. “We were thrilled with the results,” Mactavish states.

After the existing asphalt roof shingles were replaced with slate and the other roof repairs completed so the brickwork could dry out, the brickwork was cleaned and repointed...

The main entrance, which is surrounded by two heavy columns supporting a spiked gable with built-in clock face, was also restored. Using a hand-drawn 1899 advertisement, the architects found that the entrance originally had six granite stairs leading to the door. They’d been removed from the exterior and replaced with interior stairs. The granite stairs were re-created, restoring the axial entrance to the building, ... Inside the building, the the main room incorporates extensive brickwork. It had been painted a light beige color, covering an elaborate red, salmon orange, and ochre tan pattern. Two cleanings were required,...The brick was repointed and, in some cases, rebuilt using bricks from other areas of the building. Over the years, this main room had acquired three layers of dropped ceilings, ...Once the false ceilings were removed, ...The ceiling support system was restructured, ...Then missing and damaged areas were repainted.

Adding On

Designed to coordinate with the style of Frank Furness’s original building without copying it, the new addition features a bluestone base, red brick with black mortar, black detailing, and a decorative brick corbel. “We wanted to match the brownstone, but we didn't want to use new brownstone,” says Mactavish,” because it is difficult to get and doesn't perform well. We used a cast stone that could be formulated to match the color and texture of the original. We also developed a pattern of brick that would harmonize with the original formula.” The addition now houses the Alumni Relations Department and is used by about 20 university employees during the week — which “brings life and vitality to the building on a daily basis,” as Mactavish points out. A new handicap-accessible entrance was added to the back of the building, and it is used more often than the main entrance, he adds.

The main banking room, now the conference room, is used not only for conferences, but for other meetings and receptions as well. ...The original Centennial Bank office space, lit from the top by a skylight, was restored to become an art gallery housing a portion of the university’s permanent collection. Mactavish points out that the building has become a vital part of the campus and is used quite often. “My fascination with the building began when I was a student at Drexel University in the late ’70s and early ’80s,” he states. “It was wonderful to have the opportunity to build new life into the building.”