University of Pennsylvania ScholarlyCommons Theses (Historic Preservation) Graduate Program in Historic Preservation 1-1-2005 Adaptive Reuse: Recent Hotel Conversions in Downtown Philadelphia Catherine S. Jefferson University of Pennsylvania Follow this and additional works at: http://repository.upenn.edu/hp_theses Part of the Historic Preservation and Conservation Commons Jefferson, Catherine S., "Adaptive Reuse: Recent Hotel Conversions in Downtown Philadelphia" (2005). Theses (Historic Preservation). 30. http://repository.upenn.edu/hp_theses/30 Presented to the Faculties of the University of Pennsylvania in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Historic Preservation 2005. Advisor: David Hollenberg This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. http://repository.upenn.edu/hp_theses/30 For more information, please contact [email protected]. Adaptive Reuse: Recent Hotel Conversions in Downtown Philadelphia Disciplines Historic Preservation and Conservation Comments Presented to the Faculties of the University of Pennsylvania in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Historic Preservation 2005. Advisor: David Hollenberg This thesis or dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn.edu/hp_theses/30 ADAPTIVE REUSE: RECENT HOTEL CONVERSIONS IN DOWNTOWN PHILADELPHIA Catherine Sarah Jefferson A THESIS in Historic Preservation Presented to the Faculties of the University of Pennsylvania in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE IN HISTORIC PRESERVATION 2005 _____________________________ _____________________________ Advisor Reader David Hollenberg John Milner Lecturer in Historic Preservation Adjunct Professor of Architecture _____________________________ Program Chair Frank G. Matero Associate Professor of Architecture ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis would not have been possible without the assistance and support of a number of people. Special thanks to the following: David Hollenberg, my advisor, for his encouragement, faith that I would finish, even though I occasionally doubted it myself, and the prompt return of many helpful revisions and suggestions; John Milner for agreeing to be my reader rather late in the game; Bonnie Wilkinson Mark of the Pennsylvania Bureau for Historic Preservation for her time, helpful advice, and the use of her photocopier during two long days in Harrisburg. Jim Garrison, of Hillier Architecture, for being so very generous with his time, effort, and tax credit application materials, including helpful plans and photographs. He truly went above and beyond the norm. To James Lally at the Ritz-Carlton, Philadelphia, for escorting me around the hotel to take photographs. Arthur Jones of Bower Lewis Thrower Architects for sharing his wealth of knowledge on a variety of subjects, including the Reading Terminal Headhouse and the PSFS Building. To Neal Quenzel of John Milner Associates and Philip Scott, formerly of John Milner Associates. To Christopher Tucker of Bower Lewis Thrower for supplying plans. Jim Platt, formerly of Burt Hill Kossar Rittleman Associates and Marianna Thomas of Marianna Thomas Architects, and the kindly Concierge at the Marriott Courtyard Philadelphia Downtown who showed me examples of the hotel’s rooms. To Butch Deffenbach for trying to locate original drawings and plans of City Hall Annex. To Robert Powers of Powers & Company, Inc. and Joe Thomas of Loews Philadelphia. To family and friends around the world for their patience and encouragement. ii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure 1: Map of Center City, Philadelphia indicating location of four case study hotels, Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau, <http://www.pcvb.org/ab_phil/pdf/map_cc.pdf> (accessed April 28, 2005). 106 Figure 2: Girard Trust Company Dome Building amongst its high rise neighbors looking northwest at Chestnut and Broad Street façades, author, March 2005. 106 Figure 3: Girard Trust Company Dome Building, interior dome space looking south, author, April 2005. 107 Figure 4: Girard Trust Company Tower Building looking southwest at Broad Street and South Penn Square façades, author, 2005. 108 Figure 5: Girard Trust Company Dome Building, the space in between the inner and outer Guastavino tile domes, Girard Trust Company files, Philadelphia Historical Commission (PHC). 109 Figure 6: Girard Trust Company Dome Building, 1908 plan, Evans, Allen. “The Girard Trust Company.” New York Architect 2, no. 11 (Nov. 1908). 110 Figure 7: Girard Trust Company Dome Building, Concourse level showing the safe deposit area and one of the main vaults with its round door in the open position, before rehabilitation, U.S. National Park Service, Historic Preservation Certification Application – Part 2 – Description of Rehabilitation by Jim Garrison, (April 9, 1998), Girard Trust Company files, Pennsylvania Bureau for Historic Preservation, 1998. 111 Figure 8: Girard Trust Company Dome Building, 1908 image of original Concourse level vault, Girard Trust Company files, PHC. 112 Figure 9: Map of Broad Street National Historic District, Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau. 113 Figure 10: Girard Trust Company Dome Building, Grand Ballroom in former safe deposit area with oculus covered by light fixture, after rehabilitation, author, 2005. 114 Figure 11: Girard Trust Company Tower Building, partial view of Chestnut Street and South Penn Square façades showing double hung one over one windows, author, January 2005. 115 Figure 12: Girard Trust Company Dome Building, dome space before rehabilitation showing horseshoe configuration of original banking tellers, Part 2, Jim Garrison, 1998. 116 Figure 13: Girard Trust Company Dome Building, the former banking space after rehabilitation, the perfect location for cocktails or afternoon tea, author, April 2005. 117 Figure 14: Girard Trust Company Tower Building, elevator lobby restored to its former glory, author, January 2005. 118 Figure 15: Girard Trust Company Dome and Tower Buildings, looking south from South Penn Square lobby through to Dome Building with new partial ramp and stair, partial view of handicap accessible ramp through archway to the right, Thomas iii Crane, Hillier Architecture, Presentation portfolio, The Ritz-Carlton, Philadelphia, Certified Rehabilitation Project. 119 Figure 16: Girard Trust Company Tower Building, altered repeatedly over the years, the upper floors retained no historic fabric, Part 2, Jim Garrison, 1998. 120 Figure 17: Girard Trust Company Tower Building, plan of typical rental office floor, Hiller Architecture, no date. 121 Figure 18: Girard Trust Company Tower Building, plan of typical guest room lay out with an average of fifteen rooms per floor, Hiller Architecture, Presentation portfolio. 122 Figure 19: Girard Trust Company Tower Building, looking north in former 29th floor Boardroom, now an exclusive lounge for the top four keyed floors, Crane, Hillier Architecture, Presentation portfolio. 123 Figure 20: Girard Trust Company Dome and Tower Buildings, plan of first floor illustrating new connection between the two buildings and ADA accessible ramp, Hillier Architecture. 124 Figure 21: Reading Terminal Headhouse, grand entrance to the Pennsylvania Convention Center, author, March 2005. 124 Figure 22: Reading Terminal Headhouse, southwest corner of the building with the Hard Rock Café guitar, looking north from 12th Street, author, March 2005. 125 Figure 23: Reading Terminal Headhouse, ground floor interior looking into Link Building with escalator up to the trainshed, author, March 2005. 126 Figure 24: Reading Terminal Headhouse, looking north into trainshed with Pennsylvania Convention Center facilities located towards the rear, author, March 2005. 127 Figure 25: Reading Terminal Headhouse, ground floor plan, Joseph M. Wilson, “The Philadelphia and Reading Terminal Railroad and Station in Philadelphia.” Transactions – American Society of Civil Engineers, 34 no, 757 (August 1895). 128 Figure 26: Reading Terminal Headhouse, second floor plan, Wilson, “The Philadelphia and Reading Terminal Railroad and Station,” Transactions (August 1895). 129 Figure 27: Reading Terminal Headhouse, original drawings of glass partitions for the 2 ½ story. Note baseboard, chair rail, and moldings around windows and doors, Reading Terminal Headhouse Collection, Wilson Brothers Co. Collection, Philadelphia Athenaeum, 1897. 130 Figure 28: Reading Terminal Headhouse, alterations in the late 1940s sought to “streamline” the building, PA, 51-PHILA, 521-3, HABS, 1974. 131 Figure 29: Reading Terminal Headhouse, the new sheet metal cornice lacks much the original’s detailing, author, March 2005. 132 Figure 30: Reading Terminal Headhouse, historical photograph showing terra cotta colonettes, photocopy of photograph (collection of Dillon and Co., Philadelphia) Photographer unknown, PA, 51-PHILA, 521-1, HABS, 1893. 132 iv Figure 31: Reading Terminal Headhouse, replacement windows included bronze windows in the Hard Rock Café storefronts, wood windows on the second floor of the Market Street elevation, and aluminum windows above the second floor, author, April 2000. 133 Figure 32: Reading Terminal Headhouse, 6th floor corridor, looking east. Hallways were 16- foot wide, July 2, 1997, Pennsylvania Bureau for Historic Preservation (SHPO), July 2, 1997. 134 Figure 33: Reading Terminal Headhouse, 4th floor original partition. Note baseboard, chair rail, and moldings around windows and doors, Pennsylvania SHPO, July 2, 1997. 135 Figure 34: Reading