The celebratory photos captured inside The Treasury on the Plaza in St. Augustine, Florida, aren’t your average newlywed pics. The nearly century-old building was once home to the First National Bank of St. Augustine, and it still bears remnants of its past life. One is an enormous circular hatch that serves as the entrance to the wedding venue’s signature bar — which is housed right inside the original bank vault.
The bank changed names and ownership several times after construction was completed in 1927, and in 2014, the building’s entire first floor underwent a renovation to become an event space. The following year, The Treasury on the Plaza opened. “The original bank architecture, the soaring ceilings, and the historic vault create an atmosphere that’s unlike anything else,” Director of Marketing Marissa MacLeod told Nice News. “It’s a venue that naturally gives people something to talk about.”
The original First National Bank of St. Augustine in 1928
It’s also one of many examples of former financial institutions transformed into totally unrelated businesses. Keep reading for four more.
The Last Bookstore
Located in downtown Los Angeles, The Last Bookstore is “the most photographed — and possibly strangest — bookstore in the world,” according to its website. It operates out of what was once the Citizens National Bank, which opened in 1914. With 22,000 square feet of space, marble columns, and soaring ceilings, the stunning labyrinth of a store holds over half a million used and new books and records, as well as collectibles, art installations, and “curiosities.”
The Ned
This lavish members-only club is situated in the former Midland Bank headquarters in London, a space designed in 1924 by Sir Edwin “Ned” Lutyens. Nick Jones, who’s also the founder of Soho House, “fell in love” with the disused building in 2012 after it had sat empty for nearly eight years, and he opened The Ned in 2017. In its downstairs area, members can walk through a 22-ton vault door to sip cocktails inside the original bank strongroom, still home to over 3,000 safety deposit boxes.
Conwell Hall
src=”//www.instagram.com/embed.js”>
“A grand old bank reborn,” Conwell Hall in Manhattan’s financial district is a coffeehouse by day and cocktail bar by night. The establishment is located at 20 Exchange Place, inside the former City Bank-Farmers Trust Building. But Conwell Hall’s website points to a different — entirely fictional — tale about its history, claiming that the place is tied to the old Life And Trust bank and its CEO, J.G. Conwell, who came up with his finest ideas over a stiff drink, “caffeinated or otherwise.” In a broader version of the invented backstory, Conwell helped create the perfect coffee blend in 1924, which he dubbed the Skyscraper (and is still on the menu). The fabrication was used to promote an immersive theater production held in the coffee and cocktail hall until April of last year.
Jigger & Spoon
In Stuttgart, Germany, the cocktail bar Jigger & Spoon looks like a speakeasy from another era, complete with dark wood paneling and brass-accented decor. It was all built inside an old bank vault, and visitors must ring a bell outside the entrance to gain access — a nod to the 1930s, per its website. An attached cigar lounge only adds to the moodiness. In 2018, the watering hole won a prestigious Mixology Bar Award for new bar of the year, awarded by Germany’s leading magazine for bar culture.
RELATED: 7 Incredible Pools Around the World You’ll Dream About Taking a Dip in
Share to:
