Renasant Bank Headquarters

5575 Poplar Ave, Memphis, TN 38119 United States

Building Area (sf): 44,000 sf

Completion: July 2021

As a growing company that wants to stay innovative while remaining committed to investing in their community, Renasant Bank envisioned their Memphis headquarters as an opportunity to support that mission even further. With much excitement, the employees of their multiple area bank operations consolidated into this one prominent location. The modern Class A office design incorporates sleek, high-end finishes and warm wood elements echoing their special balance of stability and compassion.

Welcoming, innovative, and nurturing – those traits define the personality of the company and inspired the space that would serve them. During early concepts, the team began exploring what it means to design a welcoming experience. It also became important for the new headquarters to nurture its occupants through visible and physical access to nature and daylight while supporting the functional needs of banking in innovative ways. The resulting building is a transformational presence along one of the city’s busiest thoroughfares.

Visitors are greeted with a clear vista through the lobby and the north stair tower offering views of the lush Memorial Park beyond. At the main entry, an expansive wood canopy flows inside the building creating a physical and visual connection between the exterior and interior. The building exterior is clad with concrete panels combined with bronze colored metal and perforated accents creating a pattern that provides visual texture. Interior linear lighting, inlaid brass strips in the lobby floor tile, reveals on the teller row façade, and texture of the carpet tile all reference these patterns. The concrete panels translate to the interior lobby and clad the glass tower of the north stair.

The monumental stair within the north glass tower connects all three floors and encourages interaction as people travel between levels. A concrete planter at the bottom of the stair flows from inside to outside, further emphasizing the connection to nature. At night, the lighting within the glass stair tower creates a lantern-like effect. Vegetated roof systems, visible to occupants on the upper floors, on both the entry canopy and drive-through canopy, reduce glare and assist with rainwater management.

In contrast to the previous office locations which had limited glass and minimal common spaces, the new building holds the street corner and boasts floor to ceiling glass wherever possible to help reactivate the streetscape. The design team worked closely with the landscape architect to weave in the landscaping with a variety of textures and colors as part of a larger pattern reflected in the hardscape and overall building design.

Photography by Nick McGinn