Fifth Third Bank Project Connect

Project Narrative

Nearly 50 years after Fifth Third Bank (5/3) first planted its roots at Fountain Square, our firm was invited to collaborate on a complete transformation of their headquarters—a project named “Project Connect.”

This three-year project is the capstone of a comprehensive overhaul of 5/3’s employee/visitor experience. Guided by an integrated team, this project prioritized design drivers around legibility, transparency, connection to community, and connection to 5/3. Together, these manifested a solution that defined a new front door, created an open environment, strengthened 5/3’s bond with Cincinnati, and reinvented the user experience.

To improve the building’s legibility, the project connected the 5/3 Center’s Tower and the William Rowe Building—creating a central front door. The simple glass volume is tailored to complement but stand apart from the building’s minimalist architecture.

The primary architectural feature is the glass curtain wall intent on improving daylight and maximizing sightlines.
In the atrium, the spacious area is available to 5/3 employees and the public. The Forum—a forward-thinking collaboration space on the second floor—accommodates groups with different sizes and needs.

Guests are guided through The Forum by an undulating wood ceiling feature reminiscent of the Ohio River. Further inside, an original bank vault was reimagined as a collaborative space with dynamic textures and details, including a metallic ceiling, blue carpet, and funky furniture.

The best thing about this project? It accomplished everything we set out to and more.

                                           

Project Details

Submission Category

Building Architecture- Large Scale (>10,000 sf)

Date of Completion

June, 2021