Society Hill Townhouse Society Hill, Philadelphia
A renovation of a townhouse in Philadelphia originally designed by the renowned architect I.M. Pei. Situated in the Society Hill neighborhood, the complex of 3-story buildings were conceived in the 1950s as part of an urban renewal project, and feature 3 residential concrete towers and 5 clusters of brick townhouses, all carefully woven into the neighborhood of historic small-scale homes. Pei used an uncomplicated and repetitive palette of materials for the townhouses– brick and concrete on the exterior, oak flooring, oak casework, brick and blackened steel on the interior. This dominant palette of materials (concrete, steel, brick) is retained in the renovation, but a new voice is introduced through experimentation with the color and textural quality of these varied materials.
The clients, a couple with grown children, desired an easygoing house with a layout that felt intimate enough for everyday use for two people, but flexible enough to accommodate extended family on weekends. The renovation focused on restoring many of the original elements, while selectively enhancing the space with earthy and natural elements and a palette of bright colors reminiscent of the early modernist experiments.
On the ground floor, the partition walls separating the kitchen from the breakfast area and living room were removed, creating free-flowing circulation between the front and back of the house and around the stair. Many of the kitchen workhorse elements – clad in warm oak and a Blue de Savoie marble counter – were packed into the core, freeing up the perimeter walls to be more playful and colorful. The clients eschewed traditional cabinetry here, opting instead for a sinuous band of electric blue millwork with matching concrete counter and sink.
Upstairs, the primary suite features variations of these same ideas. Here, the primary bedroom and bath open onto the cozy library, where dk3 Royal System shelving hugs the perimeter walls and contains the clients’ large collection of art books and historic Dutch maps. The fireplace features original brick on the chimney breast, the same historically inspired brick bond and jointing used on the exteriors of the buildings. The custom millwork in the bedroom and bath includes heavy flake oak wall-mounted vanities and free-standing wardrobes, allowing the rooms to feel large and unencumbered.
Society Hill Townhouse has been featured in Domino Magazine
