Towne University
The TowneBank campus, located at entrance to The Riverfront Community along Harbour View Boulevard in Suffolk, has welcomed its newest addition: the 16,000 square foot TowneBank University. Although classified as a one-story, the building is actually the height of a story and a half, allowing high ceilings to accommodate the formal entrance lobby and conference, meeting, and training spaces. The building is the centerpiece of the campus, and has been named Towne University- in short, “Towne U”.
The building’s brick exterior and extensive traditional detailing compliments the established Georgian architectural character of the campus. The porticos on both the front and rear entries are highlighted with eight square-footed ionic columns. The main entry is highlighted with glass double doors, sidelights, and surrounded with an ornate casing topped with a large fan transom. Large windows beneath the secondary cornice are accented with square decorative block medallions. The main façade’s typical windows are accented with symmetrical casing keys, and highlighted with round windows above. The front and rear porticos’ roofline connects the two entries and is crowned with a domed cupola.
The interior’s grand entry centerpiece is a celebrated dome encircled with eight fluted Corinthian columns, all of which sit atop a granite and marble floor inlaid with a compass rose centerpiece. The dome is uplit from the main cornice and further accented through the Oculus. The dome’s ornate interior surfaces have been enhanced with traditional gilding. The double door entry to the main conference space features an ornate vintage pediment and casing surround topped with a decorative welcoming pineapple.
The building functions as a conference/ training venue for seminars, meeting and classroom training for the employees from all the Bank’s business units: Prudential Towne Realty, Towne Investment Group, TowneBank Mortgage, Towne Insurance, and TFA Benefits. The building houses a multi-purpose room, office spaces, an executive office, administrative space, an open training room, as well as a teller training room, a catering kitchen, and a conference room.
Client: TowneBank
Location: Suffolk, Virginia