Bank Of Scotland, 235-239 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow

The Bank of Scotland, located at 235-239 Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow, was designed by John Keppie and A Graham Henderson in 1931. This modern classical building features four stories and is situated on a corner site, with a double-height banking hall on the ground floor. The exterior is finished in polished ashlar with a granite base, while the rear elevation is made of brick. The building has a layout of three by seven bays.

The main entrance on Sauchiehall Street includes a tall, round-headed recessed porch, which is adorned with a sculpture group of the Bank of Scotland coat of arms above the door, accompanied by incised lettering that reads "BANK OF SCOTLAND," flanked by two sculpted figures. Between the first and second floors, there is a dentil and Greek key frieze. The third and fourth floors are connected by a giant Doric pilastrade featuring rosette necking and recessed bronze panels at the third-floor level. The entablature includes a fluted frieze, sculpted details above the pilasters, and a modillion cornice. All windows are casement style with metal glazing bars.

On the elevation facing Sauchiehall Street, the entrance is flanked by two recessed margined windows with bronze guards and sculpted panels above, which break into two gun-port type recessed lights. The first floor features three four-light oblong windows with recessed cills, which are dropped in the outer bays. The third and fourth floors each have six symmetrical six-light windows.

The Blythswood Street elevation includes five round-headed windows with geometrical glazing bars that rise through the first and second floors, lighting the banking hall. The outer bays are treated similarly to those on the Sauchiehall Street ground floor, with entry to the upper floors featuring fanlights at No 147 Blythswood Street. The windows on the third and fourth floors repeat the design of the Sauchiehall Street elevation across seven bays. The building has a slate roof with an end stack.

Inside, the banking hall is arranged in a five by three bay layout and features a dentilled, coved, and coffered ceiling. The anthemion motif of the Bank of Scotland is repeated at frieze height between the bays. The flooring is made of marble tiles, and the walls are polished marble. The interior also includes carved timber bank fittings and etched glass.