The Bank That No Longer Looks Like A Bank

The Colorado National Bank Building here in Denver (17th and Champa) was built in 1915, using the same marble as was used in the Lincoln Memorial.  It was a gorgeous structure that got it dubbed as "the bank that looks like a bank".

In 1963, a hideous upper floor addition as added, which matched none of the neoclassical ground floor except for the column lines.  

CNB was bought by US Bank in 1998, and in 2007 the classic building, on the National Historical Building register, was shuttered. US Bank preferred to operate out of the 1972 tower built next door to it.

Finally, last year, the place was bought to be redeveloped into a boutique hotel (a Marriott Renaissance),  with the intent of preserving the building, both the outside and the beautiful muraled lobby inside.  Everyone was pleased …

… but, damn, the additional floors they've added on make the 1963 addition look like a work of art.  Who the hell thought concrete cell blocks would be attractive?

Ah, well. The interior, apparently, is quite nice and much more pleasantly preserved.

More info:
– http://denverhistorytours.blogspot.com/2009/06/colorado-national-bank.html
– http://www.denverpost.com/ci_22313281/renovation-old-colorado-national-bank-building-30-percent
– http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2013/09/19/colorado-national-bank-to-hotel.html?s=image_gallery
– http://denverurbanism.com/2013/08/adaptive-reuse-colorado-national-bank-hotel-conversion-update-4.html