User:MacintoshlovesToriel/sandbox

The Heritage Tower article extractions
The original ornamental cast metal directory is still present on the north wall as well as the decorative cast metal mail drop box that feeds all the way from the eighteenth floor.

This box has cast relief depicting an eagle standing on a series of vines, leaves and plant patterns.

It also has decorative patterns on the top of the box reminding one of a parapet on the building.

To separate these first-floor spaces below the mezzanines in the main lobby from the soaring four story entry lobby, an arch faced with fluted marble facing is created to enhance the entry experience from each side.

The fourth-floor rear "C" shaped wing was originally designed for women's lockers and toilets and is presently raw space.

Typical stairways are metal pan treads on steel channels with square vertical balusters topped with wood handrails.

One more element of significance is the ornamental door and gate of the original cash vault in the northeast corner of this wing.

'''The third-floor northwest section has its simple plaster coffered ceiling at the mezzanine and arched French doors overlooking the central atrium but otherwise it is just raw space. The glass-enclosed bridge to the northeast has its glass floor below the carpet and original framing system intact.'''

The northeast section has its French doors to the atrium from the elevator lobby, that are in fair shape, and the typical, water damaged, coffered, plaster decorative ceiling over the elevators.

The mail chute remains, and the elevator doors and frames have simple gold toned metal.

The rear "C" shaped wing originally was designed to be a men's toilet and locker room and presently is raw space.

The elevator lobby ceiling had and is presently raw space framed down and dry walled, while the doors and frames are gold-toned metal.

They are separated from the stairway by a solid marble balustrade.

Behind the elevator lobby to the east the spaces are fairly raw and void of historic character.

Heading southwest through the angled east corridor glass door the safe deposit vault door can be viewed.

Approaching the second floor from the head of the stairs facing south puts you in the center of the domed ceiling under the skylight.

The north, south, east and west barrel vaults converge to this point where four massive central inlays at the top that further enhance the special feel of this office.

north, south, east and west barrel vaults converge to this point where four massive central north, south, east and west barrel vaults converge to this point where four massive central columns support the intersecting points of the forms.

A pair of columns to the east and west carry the loads at the midpoint of the major barrel vault as it travels to the end walls where engaged columns handle the transition.

These columns and walls around the room all have marble wainscots and decorative faux marbre plaster with simulated tooled joints above.

The three walls at the terminus of the east, south, and west vaults all sport massive slightly recessed plaster arches, filled with decorative art.

The east and west barrel vaults have large rectangular skylights centered in their respective ceilings.

Its top and bottom begin with a square form that steps out to a wider square form as it proceeds toward the center and terminates into a wide faceted cylinder.

The shorter northwest and southeast barrels sport less sizable and simplified fixtures of the same material utilizing hexagons as a form for the entire fixture with one step out at the center.

The north barrel vault terminates at the south walls of the mezzanines on either side of the entry and sports a simulated arch of faux marbre.

The central arched windows are featured as a focal point in a shorter and shallower arched vault continuing north over the entry lobby at a height above the fourth-floor bridge.

Its side walls are interrupted by the two stories of openings at overlooks from the second- and third-floor mezzanines.

'''The central opening in the second floor for the stair is surrounded by solid travertine articulated guard rails. At the north end the mezzanine walkway/bridge is protected by a very detailed ornamental metal guardrail.'''

The east and west mezzanine openings are separated vertically by fluted engaged piers of faux marbre with asymmetrical decorative relief at the top.

The marble guardrail panels are recessed back from the piers and sport flanking flat panels with three flutes and a center raised panel of a carved, stylized plant.

'''Proceeding upward to the third story mezzanine overlook a recessed, metal spandrel covers the floor construction and is fronted by a detailed ornamental railing depicting a series of vertical plant structures. These openings are protected from sound by pairs of arch topped, wood framed, glass French doors.'''

'''Above the arched openings recessed panels occur with typical faux marbre patterns as a background with a central relief carved to resemble the plant depicted in the lower marble guardrail. The top of these panels is terminated by a decorative horizontal band of relief.'''

Minor barrel vaults intersect the main east/west vault at the column lines on both north and south sides.

Ornamental metal ventilation grills are centered in the outer walls aligned with the spring- line of the arches.

'Ornate round light fixtures with a series of exposed blue light bulbs at the perimeter are cable-hung at the center of these eight minor vaults. (These fixtures seem to be from an earlier era and one wonders if they came from the earlier bank which was demolished to make room for this one.)*'

The northwest corner second-story spaces behind the mezzanine were designed for the Bond Department & Executive Offices and housed a vault.

The fifth floor entry corridor and elevator lobby included a wainscot of gray marble up to door head height topped with a dark stained wood crown molding.

The L-shaped basement has mostly open space with exposed concrete columns and surfaces with mechanical and former storage spaces as well the lowest elevator and stair lobby under the tower.

Proceeding past the bay windows on the southwest and the exterior access created in 1978 begins an area with

'''All original material has been removed or re-configured except some mill-work along the southeast wall. The northeast corner spaces begin with the elevator lobby which is similar to the first-floor elevator lobby with the red marble base, trim and door jambs but the walls follow the second-story theme with travertine marble wainscot and faux marbre plaster finish up to the coffered, decoratively painted ceiling.'''

At the top of the walls a decorative, stylized, plaster border runs around the room as a transition to the edge of the coffered ceiling.

Light fixtures here are off-the-shelf contemporary versions and not significant historically.

The offices of the bank president and chairman of the board are located side-by-side in the northeast corner of the second floor.

Historically, these offices were flanked by conference rooms on either side.

Both offices have decorative metal air vents and radiator covers as well as special custom wood wall panels, trim and coffered plaster ceilings.

The president’s office has a series of square wood panels with book-matched grain separated by a small, lighter hardwood inset trim band.

According to the Enquirer and Evening News, the office was originally paneled in “American walnut inlaid with black walnut and satinwood.”

'''This office has a series of vertical concave trim pieces aligned at the top of the wall creating a transitional border between the wall and the coffered section of the ceiling. This coffer is made of series of triangular contrasting light and dark wood inlays creating a continuous repeating pattern around the room.'''

'''Raised trim at about three feet on center creates a vertical emphasis around the room and acts as a termination for the wood panels at the flush trimless door opening. The office of the chairman of the board has a similar border of vertical, cove trim as a border between wall and coffered treatment at the plaster ceiling. It rises to a shallow peak at the center of three-foot-wide vertical grain wood panels and remains flat at the one-foot-wide separator panels. (It also undulates at the window head.)'''

'''These one- and three-foot-wide panels are separated by raised trim like the president’s office. The separator panels have three triangular inlays at the top that further enhance the special feel of this office.'''

The rest of the spaces in this quadrant have been re-configured and have no significance.

Looking south through the large opening into the rear wing, from the main vaulted space, one sees what was originally the bookkeeping lobby.

This space still has its original coffered and painted decorative ceiling and some of its original marble walls.

A partial height partition was used to create a coat room where the original marble stair descended to the lower floor.

The single ornamental door and cab remains where the original elevator accessed the vault lobby below.

'''Passing south through this space, the original opening has been re-configured and the below. same applies to the majority of the rear spaces in this wing. The only remaining historic element of this space is the metal and glass skylight. The most recent use for this area was a lounge that included a bar and used the vault for storage.'''

This section has been reconfigured many times, and in not-so-sympathetic of ways.

The mail chute does remain although here gold in color.

Following to the north it can be seen from the marble floor pattern, and original drawings, that walls were re-configured with original marble to continue straight to the rear wall of the grand stair at some time.

Approaching the first floor from the rear, Old-Merchants National Bank customers are greeted with a wooden staircase and a raised section that allows access to the higher level of the West Michigan Avenue entrance and raw open space that has experienced much water damage.*

There are a few areas of concern with limestone anchorage and the typical steel window corrosion.

These elements remain in both offices and are in good condition.

The openings at the nineteenth and twentieth floors appear to have original doors as well with limestone heads.