Bank invests the old with the new for €4.3m

Branch Banking: An historic bank branch on Galway's Eyre Square has been upgraded in some style.

The Bank of Ireland has undertaken a €4million refit of its historic Eyre Square branch in Galway. The company has provided banking services from the site since 1830.

The building is a listed structure and is a landmark in Eyre Square. Originally designed by architect, James Cusack, it was built on the site of the old corn and potato market, a far cry from its current long-standing usage.

The high refurbishment cost suggests the scope of the building itself, which is the bank's largest branch in the west and second largest in Ireland with more than 40,000 customers and 70 staff.

The building represents an unusual blend of the old and the new. Out went the old mahogany and leather in favour of a cleaner, contemporary look with plenty of surfaces on which to hang artwork.

The refurbishment of 43 Eyre Square was designed and project-managed by Douglas Wallace Architects under the direction of the Bank of Ireland Group Architects and Facilities Department. Construction work was carried out by TBD Developments Ltd.

The bank went to some lengths to ensure it was not damaging the fabric of the historic building in its efforts to secure the structure and modernise the interior design. Douglas Wallace appointed an independent assessor to oversee the plans, Mr Robin Mandel, historic building consultant and head of the Conservation Architects Association in Ireland.

"Bank of Ireland on Eyre Square is a building of regional importance," Mr Mandel stated. "The structure was listed in the development plan and, under the 1999 Planning Act, has become a protected structure including the interiors and objects within the curtilage. The building was in good condition, however the refurbishment was reasonable and necessary for the long-term survival of the structure."

The work involved two banking floors. The ground floor has opened as a trading area including consultancy areas. All cash transactions on this floor are automated and there is a reception area at a service counter where customer inquires are handled. The front of the building also includes a 24-hour "automatic business centre" at ground floor level where business customers can get faster service.

The first floor is reached via a new stairs and there is also lift access. This floor also has a banking hall with some informal consultancy areas. Business suites are located in the old part of the building on the first floor overlooking Eyre Square and there is a separate entrance from Eyre Street leading to these business suites.

The interior design reflects a change in "psychology or ethos" in the way the bank plans to do business in the future, according to the Bank of Ireland. The design "is a fresh, contemporary reinterpretation of a bank interior with colour used to highlight strategic areas" according to the developers.

The contemporary environment sits within the original building shell, which retains the same external appearance it had when the bank first opened its doors there 173 years ago.

The ground floor reception area is structured in a way that channels customers to the large reception desk. This was considered "vitally important" in the design process as the ground floor is primarily focused on the service aspect, the company said.

Work commenced on the building last September and was completed in May 2003.

"We are particularly pleased with the overall result which will offer our staff a substantially enhanced working environment and our customers a new experience in branch banking," said Mr Michael Noone, branch manager at Bank of Ireland Galway.

"This upgrading and modernisation of our new Bank of Ireland in Eyre Square underpins the fact that the psychology of banking has changed," said Mr John O'Neill, director of Douglas Wallace Architects. "Our aim is to personalise the customer's banking experience with less counters and more one-to-one consultancy areas, creating a more customer-friendly environment."