The Penthouse at the Touraine

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Client Spruce Street Commons

Location Philadelphia, PA

Scope 5,100 SF

A Philadelphia landmark, The Touraine was built in 1917 as a residential hotel designed by Frederick Webber.

Since then, the property has maintained much of its historic feel with features like original moldings, leaded glass, oak floors, hand-carved mantels, and classic gargoyles that decorate the walls.

The Penthouse at the Touraine, on the other hand, was constructed on top of the roof in the seventies as a personal residence of the Touraine’s owner at the time, who went with a Southwestern-style design theme— drastically conflicting with the historic nature of the Touraine. When the Touraine’s current owners came to us asking for a complete renovation of the incongruent space, we understood why.

The Penthouse Touraine exterior with a lot of picture window

They wanted something cool, classic and contemporary with great views of the skyline. To us, this meant creating a clean design that utilized exposed structural elements to create an overall visual interest while keeping the interior space light and airy.

We started by re-designing the first floor to maximize the living areas that take advantage of an incredible wrap-around terrace with picturesque views of the skyline. We then added an entire second floor to boost the overall space.

The result is a fully-rebuilt 3,200-square-foot two-bedroom, two-bathroom Penthouse with 1,900 square feet of outdoor space on top of The Touraine itself.