trustco new scotland ave design echo

New, but also sort of old

trustco new scotland ave design echo

We end up talking about architecture and building design around here a lot -- and those discussions often trend toward people talking about things they don't like.

So, here's something we noticed recently that struck us as... good.

TrustCo recently replaced the building for its branch at New Scotland Ave and Ontario Street in Albany's Helderberg neighborhood. And the design of building's front facade echoes the look of facades on the longstanding commercial strip just down New Scotland on the other side of Ontario. See how the parapet* on the roof is a similar style. (Update: Thanks to Daniel N, it sounds like the word we should have used was fascia.)

The image above is the new bank building on top, with a few examples of the facades from the commercial strip below. Here's a larger version if you'd like to see more of the detail.

*We think we're using that term correctly. We're sure someone will (politely) correct us if we're not. (Update: And people have done so! Thank you!)

Comments

Assuming the bank was required to do this, but compelled to do it on their own, which is pretty sweet!

If that was done intentionally then I'll give them a point for effort, but I'd then immediately take that point away because the rest of the building is completely unremarkable.

The correct term you are looking for is fascia.

(it may or may not be a parapet, a parapet rises up above the roof level...which we cant tell here...)

I'm no architect, but this came to mind and I may have confirmed it at Wikipedia:

Pediment

ped·i·ment ˈpedəmənt/ noun

noun: pediment; plural noun: pediments

1. the triangular upper part of the front of a building in classical style, typically surmounting a portico of columns.

2. a feature similar to a pediment surmounting a door, window, front, or other part of a building in another style.

"We think we're using that term correctly. We're sure someone will (politely) correct us if we're not."

Based on some of the other comments here, perhaps we should submit your wording to the international governing body of parapet usage, the "Parapetto Organizzazione ufficiale."

Not to belabor the point...but I will anyway. You were correct in initially referring to it as a parapet. Fascia refers to the band that runs horizontally underneath the roofline on a building with a typical sloped roof. It's similar to the dark brown element at the top of the parapet on the Trustco building, though in this case, is more accurately referred to as the "coping".

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