Ellison Bronze, Inc., the inventor of the balanced door, provides custom entry doors for Old Point Bank’s new headquarters and full-service branch in Hampton, Virginia. The Muntz bronze doors complement the building’s early 20^th century aesthetic, while offering durability that will last long into the 21^st century.
Old Point Bank’s corporate headquarters now stands at 101 East Queen Street. The six-story, 54,000-square-foot building echoes early 20^th century architecture and evokes Old Point Bank’s traditions as a financial institution. Prior to breaking ground, Old Point Bank invested in an archeological dig to affirm its commitment to downtown Hampton as a historical place with a rich cultural heritage. The preserved artifacts from the building’s excavation are displayed in the lobby, and its vintage style pays homage to Hampton’s early American origins as a seaport town.
The new building opens with two pairs of custom Ellison balanced doors and framing. One pair of doors is featured at the main front entrance, while an identical pair is located at the rear entrance. Each door blends monumental stile and rail construction with traditional early 1900s aesthetics, including bronze grillwork and large, circular discs. The discs measure 4” in diameter by ½” thick and are applied to the perimeter of both the exterior and interior door faces.
The surrounding bronze framing is equally impressive and era-specific, featuring a four-light arched transom with a single light sidelight at each side of the doors, all set into the stone opening. The traditional is merged with the modern, as one door leaf in each pair utilizes Ellison’s overhead-concealed PowerNow power operator configuration to open the door on-demand when needed.
Ellison’s balanced doors provide an elegant statement in the bank’s entrance, offering heavy and durable, yet effortless function. A balanced door features an inset pivot point at two-thirds the width of the door, creating a balance that distributes the weight so the door requires little force to open. The inset balancing point allows for an easier open force, even against external winds and internal building stack pressure. The custom door and frame construction with a #4 satin lacquered finish fuses the bank’s traditional appearance with the company’s modern outlook.
“Ellison balanced door systems are most often specified because of their style and longevity,” says Mark Graves, president of Ellison. “They are a combination of old and new – timeless and time-tested materials that allow our doors to withstand traffic far into the future. Old Point Bank is an ideal example of the delicate balance of old and new.”
Old Point Bank’s corporate headquarters opened on February 24, 2014. The project team consisted of architect Lyall Design Architects, Norfolk, VA, general contractor Henderson Incorporated, Williamsburg, VA, glass and glazing contractor Walker & Laberge Co., Inc., representative Quinlivan and Associates, New London, NC and owner Old Point Financial Corporation, Hampton, VA.
About Ellison: Ellison Bronze, Inc., located in Falconer, NY, invented the balanced door in 1927. Today, Ellison leads the industry by providing custom marquee doors to the world’s most famous addresses. Made with the highest quality materials and unparalleled craftsmanship, Ellison doors are the standard to which all other commercial entry doors are compared the world over. Ellison also provides superior customer service by maintaining every record, drawing, and casting mold for every door it has ever made since the beginning. For more information, visit www.ellisonbronze.com.
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