Italian American Bank

The Italian American Bank building at 460 Montgomery Street stands as a stark example of a controversial architectural practice known as facadism. In the mid-1980s, developers gutted the original 1907 structure, leaving only its exterior granite shell to serve as a decorative entrance for a modern glass office tower. This preservation strategy stripped the building of its interior essence, effectively turning the historic site into a hollow stage set for new construction. While the granite columns still evoke the Tuscan style chosen by architect John Galen Howard, the building now functions primarily as a facade rather than a working historical space.