West Bank has given air travelers flying into central Iowa a reason to look down. The company announced Thursday that it placed a 37-foot-diameter happy face on the roof of its four-floor headquarters at 3330 Westown Parkway in West Des Moines, a display meant to greet visitors and returning residents as their planes approach Des Moines International Airport from the north.
The design, dubbed the West Des Moines Welcome, is only visible from above, with the words “West Des Moines” curving around the smile itself, according to a report from Yahoo News. West Bank chairman and CEO Dave Nelson said the project was meant as a lighthearted nod to the community the bank has long called home. “We saw this as a fun way to celebrate the community, and we hope it makes people smile,” Nelson said, according to the same report.
A Headquarters Built to Be Seen
The rooftop smile sits atop a headquarters that was itself designed with an eye toward visibility. The $33 million building, located just off Interstate 235 at the Valley West Drive exit, opened in 2024 as West Bank's new home base. Per The Des Moines Register, the bank hopes the rooftop art creates a memorable first impression for visitors and a familiar greeting for those coming home.
West Bank actually moved into the space on April 15, 2024, according to the Des Moines Business Record's coverage of the opening. The four-story structure includes more than 73,000 square feet, and its design already incorporated features meant to catch the eye from the ground as well as the sky — the business publication's earlier reporting noted an arched roof visible from Interstate 235 along with special nighttime lighting. The headquarters rose on about 7.5 acres at the Westown Parkway site as part of the bank's move from leased space at 1601 22nd Street, the Business Record reported in an earlier project update.
Roots That Stretch Back to 1893
The smiley face is also a nod to a history that predates the airport, the interstate, and most of West Des Moines as it exists today. West Bank traces its founding to 1893, when German immigrants Herman and Anna Raaz established Valley Junction State Bank at the corner of Fifth and Maple streets, according to Yahoo News's account. That institution later became West Des Moines State Bank before eventually taking the West Bank name.
Nelson has said West Bank is the oldest business of any kind headquartered in West Des Moines, an assertion West Bank spokesperson Sara Gallagher has made previously as well. Gallagher also said Anna Raaz may have been one of Iowa's first female bankers, a detail the bank has highlighted as part of its origin story.
Not the First Rooftop Greeting
Painting a message for airborne eyes only isn't an entirely new idea. A Milwaukee homeowner made headlines in 2015 for a similar stunt, painting a large welcome message on his roof to greet passengers on landing aircraft, according to NPR. A former city council president described the message as causing outrage and panic, though Gubin painted it for fun. West Bank's version, by contrast, is framed by the company as a straightforward gesture of community pride.
