Renowned architecture firm leases space at East Market

Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, an architecture firm known for its design of the flagship Apple store in New York among other projects, has leased space at 34 S. 11th St. in Center City.

The firm took 18,525 square feet on the sixth floor of the former Family Court building.

The property is being redeveloped into a mixed-use structure with office and retail space and is part of a project called East Market.

BCJ will be relocating from 123 S. Broad St. and was represented by Matthew Frederick of PernaFrederick Commercial Real Estate. Pete Soens of SSH Real Estate, which is involved in East Market, represented landlord.

This latest deal means the 160,000-square-foot building is half leased. Other tenants include the Design Center, furniture retailer Design Within Reach and Mom’s Organic Market. The grocery store and the Design Center are scheduled to open later this year and Design Within Reach is set to open early next year.

The firm was drawn to the building's location and industrial interior.

“Design is key to us as architects, and we were excited to have found this unique opportunity at East Market,” said Tom Kirk from BCJ in a statement. “The open, industrial concept at East Market is something that matches our own design tendencies – and it’s something that we would otherwise need to go beyond Center City to find. With this prime location, extraordinary daylight, and exposed structure, we are excited to move into the new space in a neighborhood that offers so much more than a place to work.”

The redevelopment of the building is part of the first phase of East Market, which is expected to have a transformational affect on the eastern part of Center City. Aside from the office space, the initial phase of the project involves constructing 322 apartments as well as 130,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space.

Source: Philadelphia Business Journal