Nature Patterns and Reflections in Glass, TD Bank, Jenkintown, PA in album Jenkintown

In Albums: Jenkintown nature banks

A strange photo taken looking up into the top part of a modern bank lobby, showing some bare tree branches visible out the window, and more bare tree branches visible in a reflection looking out a window behind the picture, and the TD Bank logo at the bot

Apr 10th, 2011, by Alex Zorach

I went into this bank to use an ATM, and I was immediately struck by the interesting visual effect formed by the trees, windows, and reflections in the glass.

This is one of the many branches that was not built originally as a TD Bank branch, but rather, built for Commerce Bank, which was then acquired by TD Bank. I am not generally a fan of the Commerce Bank's construction and architecture, as it tends to be more suburban and car-oriented in style, and also rather wasteful with respect to space. However, there is something I like very much about the open spaces in these branches: in contrast to most banks, which cultivate an inward focus on financial instruments, these branches with the big glass windows and wide open spaces are very outward-looking, which at times can produce a feeling of being more in-tune or connected to nature, something I infrequently experience while banking.

It is this effect that I sought to capture in this photo, which combines the modern, sleek, and somewhat sterile architecture with the rich textures of nature in the outdoor world.