The First National Bank Building of Sebring is an historic three-story

mid-century modern Mid-century modern (MCM) is a movement in interior design, product design, graphic design, architecture and urban development that was present in all the world, but more popular in North America, Brazil and Europe from roughly 1945 to 197 ...

and

brutalist Brutalist architecture is an architectural style that emerged during the 1950s in the United Kingdom, among the reconstruction projects of the post-war era. Brutalist buildings are characterised by minimalist constructions that showcase the b ...

style building located at 228 North Ridgewood Drive in Sebring,

Highlands County, Florida Highlands County is a county located in the Florida Heartland region of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 101,235. Its county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital ...

. Built between 1972 and 1975, it was designed by

Fort Myers, Florida Fort Myers (or Ft. Myers) is a city in and the county seat of Lee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 86,395; it was estimated to have grown to 95,949 in 2022, making it the List o ...

architect William R. Frizzell. Frizzell, one of the most accomplished mid-century architects in the state of Florida, died in a plane crash in 1978. In 2009, he was named one of the “125 most influential people in Southwest Florida history”; the

AIA AIA or A.I.A. or Aia may refer to: Aia * Aia, a small town in the province of Gipuzkoa, Spain * Peñas de Aya, small mountain range in Oiartzun, Gipuzkoa * Aia, current Kutaisi, ancient capital of Colchis * Aia, another name for Aea (Malis), an ...

FLaSW's highest recognition is named the W.R Frizzell Award in his honor.

History

In 1973, the First National Bank of Sebring constructed a newly designed building on what had been the Sebring Tourist Club. The new building, one of the largest in Downtown Sebring was the "talk of the town". It stood in stark contrast to many of the neighboring historic buildings due to its size, mid century style, and centralized courtyard. The building is built of reinforced concrete, with a semi-circular cantilevered floor plan with the interior of the circle consisting almost entirely of floor to ceiling glass windows. The "new modern" design included a centralized, open loft atrium between the first floor lobby entrance and the second floor. It occupies an entire city block, and features elevator access to the roof. The building later served as a

Wachovia Bank Wachovia was a diversified financial services company based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Before its acquisition by Wells Fargo and Company in 2008, Wachovia was the fourth-largest bank holding company in the United States, based on total asset ...

until its closure in 2010. It has been vacant since.

Future

In May 2018, the Sebring City Council moved to purchase the building with the intent of renovating it for a new City Hall location. However, the Council later declined to close on the sale due to concerns over renovation costs, and whether or not a new City Hall was necessary In March 2025, it was announced that floors two and three of the building would become an IWG coworking space, with the first floor to be utilized as a restaurant and lobby. This would mark the first time ever the building is entirely occupied- the third floor was originally left vacant for future expansion, but was never fully occupied

References

{{reflist Buildings and structures in Sebring, Florida Buildings and structures completed in 1975 Mid-century modern Brutalist architecture in the United States Bank buildings in Florida