Architecture studio Jestico + Whiles have transformed a historic Glasgow bank into a new bar and brewery for food and drink group Glendola Leisure.

The former Commercial Bank of Scotland, built in the 1920s, has reopened this month as The Shilling Brewery Company; a 160-seat brewpub with stipped back interior features that highlight the building’s 20ft high coffered ceilings.

Fragments of the original bank – designed by the architect James Miller – have been uncovered and cleaned, including fluted marble columns, which frame a space for movie projections, and the bank’s foot-thick steel vault doors, which now lead to the bar’s bathrooms.

Natural light enter through the original full-height windows, illuminating the long bar and its backdrop – the copper vessels of the brewery sat on an elevated gantry.

Local artist Gaz Mackay has created a mural of a unicorn – a traditional Scottish symbol – and a huge inset star is embossed into the concrete floor. The architects created the bar’s graphics and visual identity, which reference the traditional swirling “guilloche” patterns printed on banknotes.

‘‘Our design for Shilling responds to our client’s simple brief to create the best brewpub in Glasgow,” said James Dilley, head of hospitality and interior design at Jestico + Whiles. “We have worked carefully to reveal the original interiors and have overlaid contemporary features that resonate with the building’s rich history.’’

Glendola managing director Alexander Salussolia added: “This is our first step into the brewpub market; a new on-trade experience where the art and science of brewing can be observed by everyone who visits.

“Glasgow has led the way in not only design, but also beer, for centuries. We are excited to now be playing our part in contributing to the next chapter in the city’s beer story in such a historic Glasgow building.”