Abstract
In the middle of the twentieth century, banks changed from ‘closed’ designs signifying wealth, security, and safety to ‘open’ designs signifying hospitality, honesty, and transparency as the perception of money changed from a passive physical substance to be slowly accumulated to an active notational substance to be kept in motion. If money is saved, customers must trust that the bank is secure and their money will be there when they want it; if money is invested, customers must trust that it is being done openly and honestly and they are being well-advised. Architecture visually communicates that the institution can be trusted in the requisite way.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 695-720 |
Journal | Business History |
Volume | 55 |
Issue number | 5 |
Publication status | Published - 2013 |
Keywords
- open/closed bank architecture; perceptions of money; customer/bank trust; Coventry High Street banks; manufacturers Hanover bank design