Washburn Piano (Demolished)
Phoenix, AZ
Photo and info Elgin MacMillan

The Washburn Piano is located in a treasure of a building in Phoenix, AZ. Unfortunately, this 1964 building is being torn down, despite its gold anodized aluminum still being in great shape. The round shape alone made this place worth pulling over for, but the real eye-catcher was that gold anodized aluminum screen wrapping around the outside. Even with the building facing demolition, the metalwork still appeared to be in remarkably good shape.

Washburn Piano
Phoenix, AZ
Photo and info Elgin MacMillan

This was not the sort of building that revealed everything in one photograph. From across Camelback Road it looked like a big circular drum, while the closer views show the layers of columns, aluminum screening and glass walls. Walk around the outside and the pattern of the screen seemed to change with every step. Eight photos may sound like a lot, but this place had plenty of angles to check out.

Washburn Piano at night
Phoenix, AZ
Photo courtesy Elgin MacMillan

The building was designed by Phoenix architect Edward L. Varney and opened in 1964 as a First Federal Savings and Loan branch. Varney designed a number of familiar modern buildings around Arizona, but this was certainly one of the more unusual ones. A round bank covered in gold metal was not going to disappear quietly into the Phoenix streetscape.

Washburn Piano night
Phoenix, AZ
Photo courtesy Elgin MacMillan

The circular design had a little bit of New Formalism, a little bit of Space Age and maybe even a touch of Las Vegas. The tall supports made the roof and decorative screen appear to float above the ground. From the road, the building looked somewhat like a fancy gold drum or a modern pavilion that had landed beside Camelback Road.

That gold aluminum was not placed there just to make the bank look expensive. The screen shaded the glass walls from the intense Arizona sun while still allowing daylight into the interior. It was a clever desert design feature and a good example of the way Phoenix architects once worked with the climate instead of simply putting up a plain box and turning up the air conditioning.

The yard light matching the roof top
Phoenix, AZ
Photo courtesy Elgin MacMillan

Of course, the screen also made great roadside advertising. Sunlight reflecting off all that gold must have been difficult to miss as traffic passed through the intersection. Banks of the 1950s and 1960s often used bold architecture to attract customers, and this one certainly did not settle for a little rectangular sign by the driveway.

Washburn Piano later moved into the former bank and turned the circular lobby into a piano showroom. The old banking floor, surrounded by glass and screened with gold, probably made a pretty impressive setting for rows of polished pianos. It was an unusual match, but somehow a round gold bank filled with musical instruments made sense.

Washburn Piano Staircase
Phoenix, AZ
Photo courtesy Elgin MacMillan

The Washburn name seen on the building gave the place its later identity, but the banking history was still easy to spot. The drive-up layout, open interior and formal exterior treatment all came from its original life as a savings and loan. The pianos simply moved into a building that already knew how to put on a show.

By the time these photos were taken, word was already circulating that the building would be torn down. The landlord planned to clear the property for a new financial institution. Yes, a striking bank building was going to be demolished so another bank could be constructed on the same site. Apparently it was easier to start over than find a new use for a building that had already served as both a bank and a piano store.

Another view of the interior
Phoenix, AZ
Photo courtesy Elgin MacMillan

The condition of the gold screen made the loss especially frustrating. It had survived more than 40 years of Phoenix sun and still looked ready for many more. The aluminum panels could have been incorporated into a new project or saved as architectural pieces, but most of the exterior disappeared along with the building.

At least one feature escaped the wrecking equipment. A mural from inside the former piano store was removed by a local preservationist before demolition. Saving one piece was better than losing everything, although it would have been nice to see the circular building and its gold metalwork remain right where they were.

The photographs preserve a complete look around this unusual piece of Phoenix roadside architecture. There are close views of the patterned aluminum, wider looks at the circular structure and angles showing how the screen stood away from the glass. The building may have been only one story high, but it had more visual character than plenty of structures many times its size.

Interior ceiling view
Phoenix, AZ
Photo courtesy Elgin MacMillan

It is also a reminder of how quickly mid-century commercial architecture disappeared around Phoenix. Buildings from the 1960s were often considered too young to be historic but too old for changing business plans. By the time people began taking a second look at their unusual forms and high-quality materials, the bulldozers were frequently already on the way.

From a flashy savings and loan to a showroom full of pianos, this golden circle had a pretty good roadside run. Too bad the final note came from the demolition equipment.

UPDATE: Washburn Piano closed at this location in 2005. The 1964 building was demolished in 2007 and replaced by another bank, now operating as Wells Fargo. 08-26

The photos were taken on September 26 and October 1 of 2005. Many thanks to Elgin MacMillan for photos.

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