Building 18 at the Philadelphia Naval Business Center houses design studios and office space for Urban Outfitters’ Anthropologie brand.
Built in 1908, the 110,000-square-foot building served as a shipbuilding machine shop.
In 2016, URBN and Blue Rock Construction were honored by the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia with its Grand Jury Award for the historic renovation of Building 18.
Some project highlights include:
- Skylights throughout with an EPDM roof
- Exterior masonry remained, repointed throughout and rebricked in certain areas to meet historical preservation standards
- Cement floor with green glass terrazzo
- Full replacement of terra cotta roof to match original
- Restored original windows to meet historical preservation standards
- Reclaimed hardwood floor throughout the building
- New office space with raised floor slabs
- Two mechanical mezzanines hanging from two existing 20-ton cranes
- Adding its own central plant
TESTIMONIAL
“Urban Outfitters continually places their trust in Blue Rock, and Blue Rock responds by listening to our needs while paying attention to all the details and nuances reflected by Urban Outfitters. Blue Rock goes the extra mile to ensure that the project represents the vision that Urban Outfitters conceptualized. It is in that spirit of teamwork and achievement that Blue Rock continues to be our builder of choice.”
– Dave Ziel, URBAN Chief Development Officer
