philly, by design

(main dining room)

escorted by the host into the main dining area, the eye immediately notices the colorful seating- armchairs of white, green, and yellow (note- the basic elements of lime...) these surround the steel and lucite pedestal tables dotting the room. additionally, the lounge's stools reappear briefly, only this time clad in polished steel. lining 3 walls of the room are "floating," cove-lit walnut bookshelves, complete with art and architecture volumes. lastly, elegant murano(?) glass chandeliers share space with a modern-coffered ceiling, another nod to the meeting of two eras. the lighting is further enhanced by pedestal lights by the windows, adding to the "study" theme of the room.

while the space looked pretty good, it could use a bit of tweaking in my opinion. some suggestions:

vary the heights- be it in the furniture, drapery, or the ceiling details. height translates to luxury...

vary the textures- all of the surfaces had the same flat feel from furntiure to floor to walls. even though i'm fairly certain the bookshelves are finished in real black walnut, they nonetheless looked like ikea-brand pressed wood with plastic veneer... right, no good.

*at such expensive prices, the sense of luxury here should be palpable*

one other problem i found (and i always seem to find at starr's places) was the seating: comfortable to relax in, but unsuitable for dining. especially in a steakhouse like this, you must be able to get "above" your food to cut it... the feeling is comparable to sitting on your couch while eating at your dining room table- it just doesn't work. after dinner, i found the chairs much more appropriate, especially after the cocktails, bottle of wine, hearty meal, and dessert. :)

(side note- you know that i've now permanently ruined you for seating at starr's places, right? sorry.)

lastly, i had to check out the bathroom. often that's where designers like to have the most fun: it's small, out of the way, and people only visit briefly. these did not dissappoint. a mosaic combo of brushed and reflective stainless steel tiles dot the unisex walls make for a luxurious feel. additionally, individual stalls with doors that travel from floor to ceiling have their own small mirrors for inconspicuous touch ups as well as speakers to drown out noises from beyond. lastly, modern pedestal sinks and contemporary nickel faucets round out the space.

in the end, i wasn't disappointed with the barclay prime. even though i might have changed a few things, all in all the place felt pretty good. besides, you can't anticipate the minutia of every design, especially in as large-a-scale space as this. what's more- even using an international designer such as mahdavi gives credit to the owner in my book. more people should follow starr's lead here, not just for desitination dining, but really to make the experience as whole as possible...

visit the barclay prime's website here. more pics, menus, hours, etc.

(all photos courtesy sro)

the comcast corporation has big plans for philly...

started in january and continuing through the fall of 2007, developer liberty property trust (liberty one, the kimmel center) along with architect robert a.m. stern (10 rittenhouse) are working on philly's newest, tallest building- the comcast center. at an estimated cost of $465m the 57 story comcast headquarters will come complete with a 1/2 acre park, new suburban station train terminal, as well as a giant, overscaled atrium. if that wasn't enough of an undertaking, the parties involved want to also make it the world's tallest green building. a platinum designation by the leading certification body, leadership in energy and environmental design (LEED), would make the comcast center not only superbly efficient and unobtrusive, but also bring a great deal of attention (and money) to the philadelphia marketplace.

there's a certain fad quality to the green movement, but in the end, it IS good design afterall. green principles seek to:

Enhance and protect ecosystems and biodiversity

Improve air and water quality

Reduce solid waste

Conserve natural resources

Reduce operating costs

Enhance asset value and profits

Improve employee productivity and satisfaction

Optimize life-cycle economic performance

Improve air, thermal and acoustic environments

Enhance occupant comfort and health

Minimize strain on local infrastructure

Contribute to overall quality of life

while no stranger to controversy, the comcast project is again confronted with opposition: the local plumber's union refuses to install the "environmentally-friendly waste systems" (reads: toilets) needed to achieve eco-friendly status. apparently, the cost for installing the commodes is less than that of regular systems, which means less money for the disgruntled plumbers. L&I has voiced their own (really, quite inane) concerns that the waterless toilets may not be safe, despite their continued use in facilities around the world, including our own lovely state capital buildings.

city officials as well as local union reps stonewalled the inquirer with "no comments" all around, but the fight ticket of state government/big industry vs local officals/trade unions ensures this will no doubt be knock-down, drag-out match.

enjoy the show!

inquirer article #1
inquirer article #2
comcast center stats via philly skyline (great pics)
treehugger.com's editorial
LEED homepage
an interesting twist

the self-described mothership of design, design philadelphia (all lowercase, thank you) is "a catalyst for advancing the public's awareness of design exploration and innovation. design philadelphia unites the philadelphia design community through its multidisciplinary design project, exhibitions, and events."

so good, i think i'm gonna cry...

suffice to say, i am *extrememly* excited about this series of events. not only including keynote speakers like gaetano pesce, the project also hosts workshops, tours, auctions, presentations, book signings, and much much more. additionally, all of philly's design community will be turning out for the glitz and glamour- a great opportunity to network, see great design, and educate yourself all at once!

i've already requested off the entire week. :)

check the design philadelphia website for a schedule of events and info...

just busily preparing myself for a presentation... be sane again soon. ;)

find more info and pics:

city hall
masonic temple

does anyone know the name of the third building shown in the series? email me or post a note here if so... it's located on the south side of the 1400 block of chestnut.

thanks!

what does a city do to address its vacany crisis?

this is the question posed by landvisions, a philadelphia-based design collaborative just beginning its third phase of international competition. though a problem shared by all major u.s. cities, urban sprawl in philadelphia has reached epidemic levels. according to the landvisions site, over 40,000 properties totalling 900 acres make philadelphia the highest per-capita vacancy rate. landvisions "sponsors invite participants to suggest compelling ideas for Philadelphia's vacant land and imagine fantastic long-term solutions that inspire change and reshape urban and natural forms throughout the city."

so far, the competition's phase I and II have comprised public meetings, map and photo collation, competitor briefings, and most recently, actual juried presentations from an international pool of individuals and firms. from here, 5 finalists were selected who best illustrate the aims of the competiton. their ideas include:

-a chain of open public/private spaces, an almost park-sprawl
-the raising the underground network of rivers and channels
-the introduction of public farmland, including fauna and flora
-a corridor of bike paths linking newly-healed spaces
-a complete urban reforestation of abandoned lots

i can't possibly begin to detail the minutia of the competition, but find below some of the major sites to access fantastic pictures, info, facts, figures, maps, links, etc etc etc. happy surfing!

urban voids -offical competition site

philadelphia landvisions -philadelphia-based sponsor of the competition

philadelphia green -an urban greening program of the pa horticultural society

neighborhood transformation initiative -the city's response to vacancy and other land issues

city parks association -manages philly's public recreation areas

the first of ten new skyscrapers being built in philadelphia, the cira centre is 34 stories of crystalline office space, situated just behind 30th street station. completed within just the last few months, the building also is also recognized as the first new commerical skyscraper in 10 years as well as the first ever on the west side of the river. designed by cesar pelli & associates and managed by brandywine realty trust, the building's form dazzled everyone the day it was rolled out. but has it realized its ambition as a defiance of the center-city marketplace and crusader for the west?

i suppose only time will tell. keystone opportunity zone tax breaks and dechert llp's residency-endorsement aside, i'm still waiting for the cira centre to do something. i'm afraid to say it, but i think it may lack Soul.

i appreciate the mirrored glass. i enjoy the obtuse angles. and damnit if i don't think the lights may even have potential. in my walks to and from school, i'm warming up to the cira centre. i like how it disappears, reflecting the sky as it does during the day. (it could do without the overhead interior lighting at night, however.)

in the end, there exists no unifying principle. to me, it's just a bag of flashy tricks. even when i visited, the best pics i could get were those with the centre as a backdrop, a lustrous prop as it were, to the refined and stately 30th street station. is that the sum total of the cira centre's potential? hopefully not.

but still i remain ambivalent. maybe it's just out of context for the moment, alone on the west side of the tracks? perhaps it needs time to grow and settle in to the space? and maybe, just maybe there's something still up cesar's sleeve that will round out the design and make sense of it all.... ?


one day i may decide for or against. until then, feel free to browse the following:

cira centre website, (includes cliche voiceover and helpful mute button)
emporis, real estate profile
facilities.net, previews and some figures for the philly market

whether it be dining out, cooking for myself/others, or even just grocery shopping, i love food. especially now, when my life is so rushed with work and studies, enjoying a meal that doesn't come out of a can or in a box is such a simple luxury... ahh.

though at first take you may not see any similarities between the two, food and design have a great deal in common: the best of each strive towards creative pairings, fine execution and display, as well as a certain flair for drama and surprise. color choices, scale, and spatial arrangement even follow the same fundamental theories.

while we've all read the standard foodie reviews online and in print, not much attention is given to how local restaurants look and function. whether or not you take notice, these items are as essential to your experience as the service and food. besides fostering the right atmosphere for a night out with your honey or friends, the design package of lighting, circulation, arrangement of space, scale, acoustics, etc also decide whether a new restaurant sinks or swims.

all this said, i'd like to give you my take on the local dining scene from a designer's perspective. not only marrying some of my favorites, the venture also gives me the chance to catch up with old friends, see more of what philly has to offer, and take a much-needed break from the experiment in poor nutrition that is graduate studies... ;)

on the menu in the days ahead: raw lounge, starr enterprises, marigold kitchen, loie, silk city diner, good dog, lolita, and more. stay tuned for updates...

post-renovation. pretty tacky, but i guess set design has different rules for color and staging?

post-mtv/pre-re-renovation. looks like they're going back to the institute's roots. a modern gallery space would fit in nicely with the great bones of the structure. my only hope is that they refurbish as much of the original as possible. you can't make buildings like this anymore...

i plan on posting the newest incarnation of the seaman's church institute in april. in the meantime. feel free to check out the following:

Real World Houses, a great site with tons of pictures and info.

MTV Real World flipbooks, house and philly scenes included.

F.U.E.L.'s renovation pics.

(photos courtesy of the sites listed above)