88 Broadway, New Haven, CT

88 Broadway was completed in 1951.  Designed by Douglas Orr as a bank building, and still used that way today, it stands as a testament to the emerging car-culture of the 1950's.  The building's "Auto Teller" massing and siting are a product of the relationship between building and automobile.  



Part of an otherwise dense neighborhood, this building pushes its neighbors aside and finds some suburban space within which to reside.  Its stone facade echoes the substantial vault held in the building's basement, a sign of security, and also loosely relates to the stone used on surrounding buildings.  



A thick aluminum sign band announces the business within. Inside, a linear banking floor at the center is flanked by teller windows to the left and employee offices to the right.  88 Broadway, in its minimalism and spacious setting stands apart next to the historic church on the corner and marks a transition to another commercial zone up Broadway that includes a suburban-style shopping center and drive-in fast-food establishments.

Researcher

Douglas Kane in 2011

Date Researched

Entry Created

June 4, 2017 at 8:47 AM EST

Last Updated

June 4, 2017 at 8:47 AM EST by null

Historic Name

Style

ModernistStreamlined Moderne

Current Use

Commercial

Era

1950-1980

Neighborhood

Broadway

Tours

Dynamic Broadway District

Year Built

1951

Architect

Douglas Orr

Current Tenant

Bank of America

Roof Types

Structural Conditions

Street Visibilities

Yes

Threats

External Conditions

Dimensions

Street Visibilities

Yes

Owner

Ownernishp Type

Client

First National Bank and Trust Company

Historic Uses

Commercial

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