The Packard Motor Car Building on North Broad Street is a classic example of a historic Philadelphia building repurposed into an apartment community. This seven-story building, built in 1910 with soaring 13-foot loft ceilings, formerly served as the assembly plant and showroom for the Packard Motor Car Company. These cars once represented the pinnacle of luxury in America. At the Motor Car Building in Philadelphia, the cars were assembled on the top floors and, once completed, made their way down to the showroom floor. The building was converted to apartments in the mid-1980s and was upgraded in the early 2000s. Nicole Elizabeth INTRS worked with ownership to design a new model unit that better reflected the tastes of the young professionals now moving into the building.

 

We sought to create an oasis in a vibrant urban setting. The immense factory windows looked out on a parking lot and another building, but gave great light to the space that we didn't want to obstruct. In order to balance the concrete jungle outside we added jade accent walls in the living room and bedroom to bring a sense of nature into the apartment. These walls also provided the perfect backdrop for the new repurposed artwork in the living room and a contrast to the otherwise neutral furnishings in the bedroom. We also created an intimate dining area complete with chandelier to the large kitchen. The finished model apartment reflected the fun sophistication of the buildings target demographic.