Modernizing A Beloved Landmark
THE CHALLENGE:
If Cincinnati is known as the "Queen City", then Fountain Square is surely the crown jewel. After years of reconstruction, Fountain Square was on the rebound. The only problem was the surrounding 1960's-era corporate headquarters for Fifth Third Bank. A stark, unsettling contrast between old and new. Something innovative and resourceful had to be done.
THE RESOLUTION:
Since FRCH is headquartered in Cincinnati, we understood,
firsthand, how important Fountain
Square is to the health and vitality of downtown. Our vision was
to create an urban environment that would serve as a unique,
vibrant gathering place for the entire community. With Fifth Third
Bank serving as its bold, contemporary backdrop, we created a
façade made of a sophisticated, high-tech curtain wave that screens
the building's dated aging exterior. Then, in the evening,
choreographed lighting animates both the Fifth Third headquarters
as well as the Square. Not only did the project received the
2008 AIA - Ohio Chapter Urban Design Award, but more importantly it
helped restore Cincinnati's crown jewel to its original glory
- and attracted a more upscale, street-level tenant.
