Unique building by Tsang Architecture opens in Alhambra, California

A unique Los Angeles branch building for Wing Lung Bank opens on Friday, March 3rd, 2006, at 201 East Valley Boulevard in the City of Alhambra, California. The building has been designed by Tsang Architecture, an award winning San Francisco firm www.tsangarchitecture.com.

Describing the unusual building, Vivek Anand, Project Designer, says, "The 2 story office building is modern and yet recalls an age when banks reflected the richness of a community. This distinguishes the building in a time when modern often means severe. The building derives its beauty from the act of layering. Layers of an exuberant and colorful mural, gray and green stucco walls, large square openings, tall bamboo, graceful curtain walls and textured Venetian plaster in reds and greens weave together this unique building." The corner of Valley Boulevard and Monterey is marked by an elliptical entrance hall which declares the presence of Wing Lung Bank on this Alhambra street which is acquiring a reputation as a miniature Wall Street for the local Chinese American community. The largest glass tile mural in Northern America wraps itself around this elliptical entrance hall and leads the eye into and around the building. Ignatius Tsang, Principal, adds, "The bank and the building are reflected in the form of the mural. It reflects the San Gabriel Mountains and the stability of the bank in its mountain imagery but most importantly it reflects richness - the richness of life, a city and community."

The mural has been designed by San Francisco artist and muralist Neil Seth Levine www.glasstilemural.com and fabricated by Becoming Tile. The exercise of designing and realizing the mural was an education and utilized processes which have never before been used in such work. The experience of entering through this mural and then walking around it as one moves through the bank is a unique one for clients and visitors and gives one startling perspectives of the mural and the building. The building has been built by PW Commercial Construction and has been completed on a tight urban site in 15 months.

The bank building is not only a public space; it is also an office for the bank staff. The daylit Banking Hall, planting, decks and a second story Landscape Court make for a healthy and inspiring work environment. The Grand Opening is scheduled for Friday, March 3rd and will be celebrated in true American Hong Kong Chinese style with a Time Capsule Dedication Ceremony and a Lion Dance.

This will be the second bank building designed by Tsang Architecture in the City of Alhambra. In 2000 it was presented an award by the Alhambra Chamber of Commerce for the new Los Angeles Branch of Shanghai Commercial Bank at 383 East Valley Boulevard, two blocks from Wing Lung Bank. The award was given to the firm for its outstanding contribution toward making Alhambra a more beautiful city.”

The Wing Lung project team consisted of Ignatius Tsang, Martin Chinn, Roger Sayre, Vivek Anand, Hattem Nigma and Angela Rush-Jackson.

Ignatius Tsang began Tsang Architecture 15 years ago. The small firm has diverse projects under its belt, ranging from healthcare projects like the AVON Foundation Comprehensive Breast Center at San Francisco General Hospital and award winning adult day care centers for the Institute on Aging, to numerous commercial and residential projects. ###