Frankie’s Summer Club
2025 / Philadelphia, PA
PLAYING WITH THE PAST
Frankie's Summer Club, a wine bar and space of reflection, is sited in the central courtyard of Philadelphia's historic Hamilton and Furness Halls, a full block assemblage spanning from Broad to 15th Street just south of the Kimmel Center. The space is framed by Frank Furness' 1875 Gothic-style brick dormitories, which were an addition to the original Hamilton Hall, an 1826 Greek Revival building designed by John Haviland to house a school for deaf children. The lush, tree-lined oasis was intended to provide respite to students from the fast urbanizing city. Today, walking into the courtyard through a gate on 15th Street still feels like entering a secret garden. The design for Frankie's preserves and enhances the existing space's magical quality with a series of playful, light-touch interventions aimed at activating the site and inviting the public in.
UP TO SPEED
In a race against time, the team took the project from start to finish in just two months. Designers, engineers and fabricators worked hand-in-hand to craft the centerpiece of the design, a 29-foot tall totem structure made from inexpensive, lightweight scaffolding elements wrapped in a translucent mesh fabric. The totem was set atop a heavy steel base and braced against one wall of the existing building. Custom-cut and painted exterior-grade MDF panels wrap the bar as well as the entry portal. A modular design for tables, benches and drink rails, along with efficient cut patterns allowed for speed throughout the fabrication and installation phases, keeping Frankie's on track to open right in time for the start of the summer season.
ENTRY PORTAL
Furniture, signage and lighting transformed Furniture, signage and lighting transformed the existing 6,500 SF courtyard into a seasonal outdoor hospitality space serving wine, ice cream and snacks for up to 200 people. A lilachued arched portal highlights the 15th Street entry gate, creating a moment of curiosity at the street edge for passersby.
BAR TOTEM
The 40 X 200-foot courtyard is framed by 4-story brick walls, creating a feeling of verticality accentuated by the trees within. The totem structure mounted atop the bar peeks up above the bushes, inviting visitors to explore further. With a rectangular footprint and flared base, the totem was designed with a nod to an unbuilt design for the adjacent Kimmel Center by Louis Kahn circa 1975, referencing the site's rich architectural history.
