According to the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, the first-floor banking room measures  wide and  long with a  ceiling. Architectural writer Robert A. M. Stern and Architecture and Building magazine give a figure of , with a ceiling of . In any case, The New York Times described the space as one of the largest banking rooms in a New York City bank. The banking room uses marble, limestone, sandstone and bronze screens to create a space reminiscent of a basilica. The banking room can be entered from the 41st Street arch to the south; the 42nd Street arch to the north; the office building's vestibule to the northeast; and two doorways leading to the passenger- and freight-elevator lobbies to the west. The floor slopes upward toward the south end of the room, since the 41st Street entrance is slightly higher than the entrance on 42nd Street. Another ramp slopes upward toward the "Chapel" annex to the east. The 42nd Street branch had a single waiting and banking room, obviating the need for clerks to frequently walk between back-room desks and public-facing counters.