Bringing New Life to a Workhorse Building
The former Star Carpet Mill, located in the West Kensington section of Philadelphia, was built in 1891 and provided carpetmaking (later dyeing) jobs for approximately 200 people. It served as a small part of the larger neighborhood landscape of textile mills, chemical plants, glassworks, machine shops, potteries, and wagon manufacturers.
The complex is comprised of five original buildings: weaving mill, engine room, boiler and drying room, dyehouse, and office. The structures are primarily red brick with heavy timber floors.
In the 1980s, the buildings were converted to live/work studios, and began its current transformation in 2021. As it stands now, it contains 29 rental apartments, two artist studios, and artist gallery, and a larger commercial/industrial space.
The Transformation
From the beginning, the building had many deferred-maintenance issues that had to be dealt with, such as damaged masonry, deteriorated roofing, and outdated windows and doors. Electrical, mechanical, and plumbing systems were replaced in full, and sprinklers were added.
The building owner wanted to celebrate the building’s original character by keeping exposed brick and timber on the interior. Where possible, the original wood floors were restored. Modern, minimalist white kitchens complement, rather than compete, with the historic elements. Salvaged features, such as the original elevator doors, were reinstalled as decorative elements.
Because the building is listed on the Philadelphia Historic Register, care had to be taken on the exterior to faithfully restore the brick, install properly-proportioned replacement windows, and design period-appropriate doors. A small addition within the courtyard serves as a modern tenant entrance.
As part of the project the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The complex is composed of five interconnected buildings surrounding a courtyard: (1) weaving mill, (2) engine room (3) boiler and drying room, (4) dyehouse, and (5) office.
Project size: 30,000 sf
Program: adaptive reuse of a former carpet mill into 29 apartments, 2 artist studios, one artist gallery, and one commercial space; building is historically listed both in Philadelphia and on the National Register
New all-white kitchens complement the existing architecture
Living spaces celebrate the original building materials
The top-floor apartments have loft spaces
The original elevator doors were reinstalled in the corridors
Existing conditions
