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Broughton Municipal Building (First Federal Savings and Loan Association Bank)

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1960–1961, Levy and Kiley. 132 E. Broughton St.

Built on the site of the former Odeon Theatre, this six-story bank, with its abstract interplay of polished gray granite walls, white concrete projecting frames, first-floor canopy, and blue, gray, and white tile piers, brought a daring modern accent to Broughton Street. Originally the building had movable vertical louvers within the large concrete frames that shaded the upper stories, an early use of green design through passive solar control, but these were later removed. Acquired in 1991 by the City of Savannah to house municipal services (and ensure the building’s survival), the two-story banking hall with a surrounding mezzanine and basement vault (visible inside the front window) remains little changed. Levy and Kiley also designed the Woolworth’s store (1954; 127–133 E. Broughton Street) across the street, showing a simpler, more conventional International Style modernism. Although the original canopy has been removed, the corner entrance retains the store’s name in the terrazzo pavement. These buildings, along with the remodeling of Levy’s Department Store at 201 E. Broughton (3.11), represent a distinctive ensemble of modernist commercial architecture all by the same firm.

Writing Credits

Author: 
Robin B. Williams with David Gobel, Patrick Haughey, Daves Rossell, and Karl Schuler
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Citation

Robin B. Williams with David Gobel, Patrick Haughey, Daves Rossell, and Karl Schuler, "Broughton Municipal Building (First Federal Savings and Loan Association Bank)", [Savannah, Georgia], SAH Archipedia, eds. Gabrielle Esperdy and Karen Kingsley, Charlottesville: UVaP, 2012—, http://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/GA-02-3.9.

Print Source

Buildings of Savannah, Robin B. Williams. With David Gobel, Patrick Haughey, Daves Rossell, and Karl Schuler. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2016, 73-74.

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