Alicia Heinsen
Becker Raab
Ben Poulin
Beth Emig
Jason Chmura
Jessica Mangin
Kyle Rendall
Matthew McChesney
Mayva Donnon
Merilee Meacock
Michael Shatken
Petar Mattioni
Scot Murdoch
Philadelphia, PA – KSS Architects and design/fabrication collective studioRON have teamed up to bring the beach to Bok Bar, with unique, bespoke furniture. The installation, conceived as a new landscape at the intersection of ‘beach’ and ‘boardwalk’, provides a backdrop for summertime lounging at the venue, eight stories above the streets of Philadelphia.
The primary materials used for the project include 98 sloped sections made from wood 2x4 framing and 55 pink pool noodles cut into 8” and 9” sections. The materials were chosen for their native qualities: wood framing abstracted from boardwalk construction and foam pool noodles that are often found in the surf. The noodles were vertically arranged to splash across the seat platform’s surfaces and interrupt the wood with color and comfort.
“Informing our design approach by understanding how Bok Bar sees the roof deck, as a boardwalk for interaction, our team developed a creative response that supported this vision,” said Beth Emig, KSS Architects. “Our position tied the typology of lounge seating with the narrative of beach and boardwalk lounging to take in the view beyond – in this case, the Philadelphia skyline.”
“KSS Architects’ collaboration with studioRON interpreted the context of Bok Bar in a unique and playful way,” said Emma Rutherford, Design Director and Co-Founder, Scout Ltd., which owns and operates Bok Bar. “Their intervention demonstrates a direct translation from concept to delivery and offers a new scale of inhabitation to the space. They were deeply engaged in the process, and made the most of the open brief. We look forward to enjoying their piece for many seasons to come.”
Originally assembled as a continuous landscape, the segmented lounging platform can be rearranged, manipulated and dispersed about the roof deck. Each module is 21” wide and six feet long; when assembled together, they create a continuous sloped mass for lounging and relaxing.
In March, Scout Ltd. held an open call for local furniture designers, artists and makers to create unique new furniture that would enhance the Bok experience, seeking designs that support a casual, honest and unpretentious atmosphere. KSS and studioRON collaborated to respond to the open call, beginning with a three-week design period followed by a five-week construction period between March and May 2017. The furniture will be officially unveiled on the opening day of Bok Bar, Thursday, May 25th.