ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNS — john james pron

ROUNDHOUSE REUSE

“THE WHEELS OF THE BUS GO ROUND AND ROUND..”

A proposal for the adaptive reuse of the former Philadelphia Police Admin Building (known as “the Roundhouse”) John James Pron 19 Sept 2025

INTRO: The Roundhouse is a building that Philadelphian’s have a strong love/hate relationship with. A circular building constructed in William Penn’s iconic gridiron of streets is a rarity and so it is hard not to take distracted notice when one walks or drives nearby. It is also a major challenge for interior usage, as circular hotels and office buildings with all their modular interior fittings have discovered. But more than its functionality, it also has a dark history long associated with investigations of police brutality. For that reason, many call for its demolition. But simultaneously, the architectural design is quite noteworthy- a constructed design by a pioneering Philadelphia architectural firm using innovative precast concrete assemblages. The undulating facades along Vine Street are captivating and splendidly detailed and proportioned. And so, many Philadelphians do appreciate the fluidity of the architecture as they speed past.

These powerfully undulating facades celebrate movement- the excitement of swirling bands of cars and trucks, adrenaline pulsing as drivers maneuver. Ever quicker in racecars, ever faster in planes and trains. And Americans, especially younger ones, see travel as adventuresome and eye-opening. Travelling to distant places and meeting new people has a long romantic history in American lore. And yes, for so many others in our society, it is the only mode that is affordable.

In 2023, Philadelphia has lost its INTERCITY BUS TERMINAL and utilize makeshift locations, most lacking needed benches, lavatories and shelter. Well, move it here! It is so convenient to access from multiple directions, does not impact on existing residential neighborhoods (where bus fumes, traffic congestion and sketchy non-residents would necessarily gather). Not only is it very convenient to access by multiple means of transportation in this region, it visually celebrates the act of travel and poetry of movement.

What to do about the upper floors of the Roundhouse? The radiating vaults overhead are intriguing but there is little else to recommend these interiors.

Philadelphia is a major American city with many attractions: historic sites, significant museums, an increasing reputation for creative dining, and a major concentration of schools, universities and medical centers. It is also a major locus of sports events and concert tours. These hundreds of thousands of visitors and tourists, many forced to be day-trippers, need short term places – even just an overnight accommodation- to stay, and Philadelphia’s hotels certainly do not come inexpensively. I propose that levels 2, 3 and 4 of the building become a unique accommodation for such visitors. One can call it THE ROUNDHOUSE INN&OUT. Many travelers in foreign countries, both in Europe and in the Third World, are well accustomed to short-term, affordable overnight accommodations. For many backpackers from the 1970’s, there are fond memories of meeting new people and experiencing new cultures. In some cases, university dorms, closed for the summer months, rent out to travelers. In certain Asian countries, tiny closet-size chambers house single travelers near train stations. Variations on the concept range from large galleries housing lines of bunk beds (much like army barracks or summer camps in the wilderness) to private rooms for couples or families.

Is the INN&OUT a hostel, or a bed and breakfast? Or does it balance a combination of both? Private bathrooms or group showers and lavs? Can it be designed to appeal to a variety of age groups or demographics? Does one mix or separate by zone or floor (the “elderly wing” is distant from the determined “partygoers wing”. I dunno. It is, however, not for long term stays (does one have to clear out during daytime hours?). And it is certainly not intended to be a solution for chronic homelessness.

I have no idea if any major US hotel chains operating in the US have any experience in this format. Nor can I project the economics (noting, however, that the original architectural framework stays intact, just clearing out office detritus and abandoned furniture).

CONCLUSION: It does, I feel, satisfy my design strategy of “both/and”. It preserves the facades and the exterior ambiance of an important piece of contemporary Philadelphia architecture. More than that, my proposal celebrates the stunning design, causing users to actively interact with its geometry. But it also satisfies and dignifies two user groups who, right now, make do with almost nothing available to them. And I suggest that the need will only increase over time.

The project enlivens a dejected part of downtown Philadelphia, making minimal neighborhood impact. And it separates the noisy, congested Vine Street to its north with a quiet little, sunny park facing south, perhaps focusing on a monument that honors the important and honorable job of serving as a policeman while also acknowledging the dark transgressions that did occurred in the past. (maybe an updated version of the Roman god Janus?).

ESP+PHM: ADAPTIVE REUSE OF THE EASTERN STATE PENITENTIARY June 2022 proposal

The Eastern State Penitentiary, built in Philadelphia between 1821-1829, is a huge and magnificent stone construction is on the National Register of Historic Places, noneworthy not only for its remarkable architecture but also because it became a template for prison design worldwide, with over 300 offspring.

Now abandoned and largely deteriorated, it is a visitable site interspersed with exhibitions and available for events and activities- some educational and some pure entertainment.

The ESP also sponsors art installations in its various cells, with funding provided by visitor fees and grants. In the past 25 years, there have been over 100. This is MY OWN PROPOSAL- as far as I know, the first overtly architectural. The selection will be announced on 15 September 2022, with installation completed by the end of April 2023

As a building on the National Register, the ESP is fully protected against future desecration and misuse. NOTHING can be altered in perpetuity. In knowing disregard of this canon, and recognizing that the entire complex is so huge (11 acres) and without the funds to preserve it, I am instead proposing to preserve the HALF of it currently being visited and full of active programming, (seen in dark grey poche in the bigger site plan, above). Then I would restore those remaining and inaccessible cellblocks and as well as empty the cluttered courtyards for new uses. This is the philosophy of ADAPTIVE REUSE, namely preserving and enhancing those primary parts of a building complex that embody the “soul” of the original building, while altering the remaining secondary parts that serve contemporary lifestyle usages. A philosophy of both/and rather than either/or.

Eastern State Penitentiary (at 2027 Fairmount Avenue, originally open fields just northeast of the city of Philadelphia , once the world’s largest and most expensive house of incarceration, was designed by architects John Haviland In contrast to the common practice of crowding multiple prisoners of all ages, sexes and crimes in group cells (as well as subjecting convicts to outdoor public labor- subject to the jeers and insults of citizens), a new Quaker-motivated philosophy was instituted.- something first partially explored at the old Walnut St Prison. It was believed that solitary confinement will allow an inmate regretful and penitent (thus the word “penitentiary”)- reform rather than punishment. It had individual cells as well as individual exercise yards to support that concept. Additionally, guards and inmates were fully separated: the panopticon concept (a single focal point with radiating wings- here, the central guard tower) allows maximum observation while minimizing potentially brutal staffing contact). The motivations were laudable: Quakers believe that there is good in all people, that everyone merits respect, and that crime is a result of negative societal influences. Given the opportunity to thoughtfully contemplate where one went wrong, anyone can them be redeemed and rehabilitated.

This philosophy, however well-meaning, proved wrong: isolated incarceration is recognized today as a form of abuse and torture.

The Philadelphia History Museum (PHM) is the former Atwater Kent Museum- existed from 1938 til 2018, when it closed due to inadequate funding coupled with a serious lack of visitors. Its closure was a civic tragedy, but Drexel University came forward in recent months to rescue its collections, promising to make them accessible again. But how to and what next? While NOTHING of the ESP’s existing programming and public usage would be altered, this architectural design proposal seeks to integrate this museum into its unused portions. Thus, the new name, the ESP+PHM.

The previous Atwater Kent was idiosyncratic, its collections of well over 100,000 items was more random and quirky than comprehensive or systematic. In a city with so many museums, it is not a blockbuster and couldn’t complete with nearby newer ones like the African American Museum, the National Jewish Museum, the Museum of the American Revolution, the Seaport Museum and the National Constitution Center. In its original location- at the center of the historic tourist visitor district, it had little appeal. Better to locate it elsewhere, closer to the city’s neighborhoods, communities and residents.

Not only has the supremely elegant design of the panopticon- plus-wings concept been compromised with the clutter of endless clumsy additions, but the experience of the visitor today to the rotted cells and decrepit corridors is NOT what the early inmates experienced. The facility today functions as a haunted house at Halloween and features such frivolous activities as a Bastille-Day candy toss from the ramparts. It can be rented for weddings and banquets. All of this is a poor commentary on a facility whose history is that of sadness, failure and punishment.

The original Neo-Medieval exterior was constructed in the early 1820;s, but in 1934 a clumsy stone vestibule was added to the central gate to provide doubled-up security for comings and goings. The original architect John Haviland also designed the Atwater Kent’s landmark Greek Revival structure at exactly the same time. Its monumental square columns still stand on Chestnut Street below Market, even though the museum spaces are empty.

Since within the walled precinct, the existing and the new institutions will now coexist, this modified entry identifies that duality. The Atwater facade will front the 1934 vestibule. Entry for both is accomodated: the ESP activities are entirely on the ground floor, while the new PHM design brings one up to a second level bridge and then into the exhibition wings.

And so, now, that walled precinct can now be fully occupied. It is not just about one institution but about the city as a whole. It is not just about the past and present, but now adds the future. It continues to preserve what is original and unique, but just not what it is endlessly so. It is both/and- both Historic Preservation AND Adaptive Reuse.

Though over time, the original layout has been jammed full with awkward additions and since being abandoned in 1971, the Penitentiary, as is, bears witness to the decrepitude of 50 years of total neglect, with everything rotted, moldy and in partial collapse. See the top layer of photos.

But realize that it was NOT AT ALL the original experience of the earliest inmates. the rendered drawing at the bottom layer shows the furnishings and condition of the original cells.

Compare that re-created chamber to a traditional Catholic monastery monk’s cell: a place of individual contemplation, but also furnished and supplemented with the tools of Christian spirituality- a crucifix, a bible, a rosary, etc. Yes, of course, the prisoner is unwillingly incarcerated, not the monk. But, in my design, I have chosen to use each cell as a quiet space not for a single human being to contemplate, but now for a single visitor (or 2) to contemplate a selected museum object artifact or archived document.

One single cellblock- the one on axis with the front door- will be left in its ruinous state- a monument to 50 years of abandonment.

The other 4 museum wings, rotating from the lower left SW corner, a dedicated to the 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st centuries.

Well-meaning Quakers who supported isolation in single cells because they felt that this decision was most humane, and so the monastery did indeed provide an appropriate architectural model. Walled in a medieval-like defensive manner, there was more danger from the riotous corruptions of city streets outside than from the fear of inmates somehow escaping and doing collective harm. There is no heirarchy in the repetitive arrangement of the cells- no one can be overtly singled out either for abuse or preferential treatment. The cellblock corridors clearly evoke the naves of cathedrals, with light flooding from above and imperfect mankind struggling below. There is not a focal point high altar at the end of the axis- there wouldn’t be. But the goal of each prisoner is to make their own life on earth, move toward the light above and and the end of the corridor, toward eventual freedom on earth.

These particular PHM cellblock wings would be cleaned up, restored, relit, and replastered. Side walls might be opened to additional cell chambers, or it it might connect to the little courtyard or spaces beyond. Even the separating wall to the corridor could be opened up- each space tailored to the particulars of the historic artifact.

Newer history museum theories focus on becoming more equitable, relevant and impactful. How to connect users on a deep emotional level, “so its about me, my experience, my interest”. These museums are not necessarily sequential, and do not demand convenient beginnings or endings. They allow for multiple interpretations from diverse sources. And so, instead of thousands of archival documents overloading the cupboards and shelves, they are very selective about much fewer, more powerfully meaningful displays.

The chambers are small (though one can double or triple them for bigger displays) and could never accommodate crowds. A few stools to encourage viewers to stay. Contemplate the object. Read labels pro and con, fact and fiction. Form your own opinion. History is upclose and personal.

The four reconstituted “Prison Yards” (in green), rotate around the central axis, each one broadly dedicated to a century of city history. From the SW corner:

YARD 1: PRE-PHILADELPHIA. The history of the region, of the land and waters and of the tribes who lived there for many centuries prior to William Penn- this is all an important part of the history. Call it “Shackamaxon”- the Lenni Lenapi’s name for the region. Make this triangle a tribal land (not freely open to non-tribal peoples) and densely plant it with the indigenous trees original to the state.

YARD 2: PAST PHILADELPHIA. Pave it with maybe 75,000 flat stones, equal to the total number of inmates in 142 years of operation. Engrave all the known names, what we know of their conviction, their life before and (especially) their life after. Quaker values affirm that all human beings are entitled to dignity. Incarceration is always a personal as well as a societal tragedy. Remember them.

YARD 3: PRESENT PHILADELPHIA in the northwestern triangle. What are those currently controversial PUBLIC personages and PUBLIC issues that Philadelphians struggle with: Frank Rizzo, Christopher Columbus, Benjamin Franklin, Mumia Abu Jamal, Leif Erichson, others. This space is an external “holding tank” for their artifacts until their fate gets settled. It may take months, years, maybe never. What merits a monument? Who can share its values? Placed where?

YARD 4: FUTURE PHILADELPHIA. Where is our history going? Do you realize that YOU personally can shape it? Stone bins cut into the perimeter wall here can freely collect ideas and artifacts- anyone can submit for consideration. These are the issues and ideas that PRECEDE markers and monuments- if at all ever needed: gun control, abortion, immigration, global warming, BLM, systemic racism- all issues that maybe require action more than artsy “things” to display and remind or remember. This Yard will install all sorts of temporary mechanisms that seek opinions and document commitments. The final cellblock (dedicated to the current century and very much in process) is the former hospital wing- many times remodeled and so very flexible. It may be that- in this increasing digital and virtual world of sophisticated technology- the museum may take a radically different spatial arrangement than rows of cells.

The central panopticon/guard tower is clearly the all-controlling center of the complex. and majestically dominates the skyline’s geometric layout- although few people would have ever experienced it. In this scheme, that will now be substantially changed, by demolishing the masonry clutter between the original cellblocks and this octagonal center.

The PHM experience ends at the CHRYSALIS- a word derived from the ancient Greek chrysos (meaning “golden”) and applied to the hard shiny outer casing that protects the pupa of butterflies. Metaphorically, it marks a transition from adolescence to adulthood.

Rather than simply dumping exiting visitors out onto the sidewalk, this architectural Chrysalis is a new glassy semi-domed chamber that serves as a gathering place, whether individuals or classroom students, clusters of elders or tourists led by professional guides. The new concepts of history museums seek ways to engage visitors in soliciting ideas and topics, look for ways to make collaborations from communities as well as from “the people on the street”. They also invite reactions and do not shy away from exploring and discussing sensitive, uncomfortable or controversial issues. They want to put history to work.

The Chrysalis is a place to pause and consider, meant to accommodate both group discussions as well as private contemplations. No one should leave this monastery-like enclave without processing their experience.

Aside from the theme of the proposal as well as the specifics of the content- the character and the aesthetic integrity of the installation is to be carefully considered. One cannot touch the existing decaying wall, and so the proposal requires a framework installation that skims the sidewalls and accommodates the suspension of architectural drawings. Keeping with the new/old dichotomy, the framing will be highly contemporary- shiny or brightly colored, with bold, crisp metallic connections.

THE DESMOND HOTEL: A DOUBLETREE BY HILTON, Malvern PA 2017-8

The hotel was built in 1988 as a business-man's Hilton, in the Great Valley Office Park, near King of Prussia, PA. Purchased by developer John K. Desmond, its interiors were fully renovated by Hospitality Design Group, Inc- the hotel design firm lead by myself, as Design Director, and the hotel reopened as the Desmond. And so, throughout the 1990's and 2000's what was largely painted driwall, acoustical tile ceilings and wall-to-wall carpet was gradually replaced by fine classical detailing and the colonial proportions typical of the heritage of the Philadelphia region. While keeping the "fine bones, solid materials and intricate detailing" of Georgian classicism- which has been one of my stylistic specializations, the interiors are now being updated and freshened to meet the more casual lifestyle and more eclectic tastes of America today. In spring 2018, with construction complete, it will become a semi-autonomous hotel, yet simultaneously one of the 31 brands connected to the global chain.

Interior design and construction (to meet current Hilton/ Doubletree brand standards) is by CVC Hospitality, Inc. of Wintergarden, Florida, while I served as the owner's design consultant, charged with maintaining and enhancing the hotel's original character. (compare with the text entry and pictures from 1994).

DT_forkbottle01_5_677x380_FitToBoxSmallDimension_Center.jpg

The DESMOND CROWN PLAZA HOTEL, Albany NY exterior site proposal Oct 2021

AAA DES ALB 12 OCT 2021_Page_14 - Copy.jpg

MT TAI ROSE MANOR Tai'an China 2016

The Mt Tai Rose Manor is a 40-acre farm focusing on the raising of roses and the production of rose pedal products such as perfumes and jellies- located in Hezhuang Village, Shandong Province, China. It is near the city of Tai-an and Mt Tai- one of the five "sacred mountains" of ancient China and a UNESCO world heritage site. Seeking the establish the farm as a center for rural tourism, a masterplan has been developed and generic architectural layouts and images have been produced for an administration building/welcome center, a restaurant, several guest guest quarters and a wellness health spa. A result of invited participation in the "June 2016 Tai'an Business Trip for Foreign Experts" supported by the Chinese government. Done for a client that has extremely limited resources, it was offered pro-bono

THE DESMOND CROWN PLAZA HOTEL, Albany NY, front facade and interior atrium proposal Oct 2018

THE DESMOND CROWN PLAZA HOTEL, Albany NY proposed facade and interior atrium renovations 2018

Originally built in 1972, the Desmond Hotel in Albany NY grew to become a noted local hospitality and restaurant venue. Over time several additions and constant renovations doubled its size and added convention facilities- so important in a state capital. About to become part of the Crown Plaza global hotel chain required major programming changes as well as a serious effort to minimize many of its more kitschy neo-colonial features (better suited to theme park) by stripping off many details and adding with more contemporary interventions.

‍ ‍ This involved proposed solutions for two areas: the cluttered, amorphous main facade as well as the enclosed atriums for both spontaneous as well as programmed activities- interiors because of the difficult winter climate.

I worked with the architects, interior designers and construction teams of CVC Hospitality of Winter Garden, Florida, serving personally as the design consultant to the owners- Desmond Hotels. These drawings initiated a process of negotiate re-design prior to construction expected in the fall of 2018.

Desmond+Alb+rendering+facade+2+-+Copy+-+Copy+(640x306).webp

Desmond+Alb++axo+front+facades+1+(640x483).webp

Desmond+Alb+front+atrium1++axo+-+Copy+(640x424)+(2).webp

Desmond+Alb+front+atrium+2+vignettes+-+Copy+(640x426).webp

Desmond+Alb+rear+atrium+2+axo+-+Copy+(640x427).webp

Desmond+Alb+rear+atrium+2+vignettes+%28427x640%29.webp

YO, PIRANESI ! 30th St Station and Schuykill River site, Philadelphia 2017

Piranesi to Philadelphia: 6-panel rendered collages

Part of the Rome50 celebration, where Temple University marked the 50th anniversary of its Rome campus, this show brings together the creative work of 7 young artist/architects- 5 of them alumni of the TempleRome Program- along with myself (who taught at Rome and also had two sabbaticals there to do gallery shows based on my Rome perceptions.

Giovanni Battista Piranesi created hundreds of etched renderings of his beloved city in the mid-18th century- a pastiche of ancient ruins jostling against boldly conceived Baroque churches, palazzos and piazzas. And he presented them very dramatically with exaggerated perspectives and moody lighting.

My chosen site is the extensive railroad tracks that line the Schuykill River to either side of the 30th Street Station. I have two challenges to meet: to removed the highway alongside the river at the water's edge, throw them high overhead on viaducts, and then replace it with convenient, attractive pedestrian access to the river. Ideas and images gleaned from Piranesi

Aerial view of existing site

Overview of the bend in the Schuykill River, looking from center city toward West Philadelphia and University City. There are indeed tall glassy office towers beginning to surround 30th Station and the old Post Office, but large swaths of acreage extend to either side- the University of Pennsylvania's athletic fields to the south (left) and large railroad yards to the north (right).

My masterplan intends to cover it all over, infilling the huge open trough between the two dense parts of the city with both hi rise office and institutional towers, as well as low rise, densely configured residential neighborhoods.

Masterplan

Some of Piranesi's renderings fantasized a Campo Marzio based on the ancient Campus Martius of ancient Rome- an area of collective urban activities- bathhouses, theaters, athletic facilities as well as major temples- that were geometrically controlled within each other but jostled together like "noodles floating in a soup"- all in high contract to the intricate organic meanderings of the older ancient/medieval neighborhoods shown in Nolli's mappings.

In the plan, with West Philadelphia to the top and center city to the bottom, additional bridge connections weave vehicular traffic as well as bike and pedestrian path together, a contemporary "Campo Marzio" of office and institutional towers surrounds 30th St Station (shown in red), and the Nolli-esque neighborhoods infill the interstices. New highway viaducts arc overhead.

Piranesi #1: Waiting Room of 30th St Station

This is one of the great interior spaces of Philadelphia- very similar to the grand basilican churches of Early Christian Rome that were, in turn, influenced by the secular basilican halls of the ancient world- places to worship, to negotiate business decisions, to confront legal issues...but also to socialize, to doze on a chair or a step, to view the many fine art works of the regime or shrine.

Blurring Piranesi (in black and white) with contemporary photos (in color), the magnificently detailed and masterfully lit interior is open 24/7, invites all classes of people to freely utilize it and now even serves as a display gallery for the many artworks houses by the nearby (and rarely visited) Univ of PA Archeological Museum- works from ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece and Rome, the Far East, Native American and Inca/Maya/Aztec. "Art without Borders", freely accessed- to be seen and maybe touched.

Piranesi #2: 30th st Station to the riveredge

The I-76 highway that passes underneath 30th St Station- just barely skimming the water's edge of the Schuykill River- is a fast-passed, narrow, dark, claustrophobic traffic nightmare with frequent accidents causing center city gridlock. And, eventually, the rising water levels caused by global warming will necessitate it being moved.

Removing the highway would now allow a gracious, stepped access to the river along one of its most dramatic stretches- from the Art Museum past center city. And with the newly planted greenery, walkways and recreational facilities of center city's Schuykill River Park, rather than symmetrically replicate it, let it be densely developed with shops, cafes, water landings and aquatic recreational facilities....much like Piranesi's etching of the (now demolished) Porta Ripetta in Rome.

The new office towers, condominiums and institutional building complexes will rise up behind it- Philadelphia's Campo Marzio echoing the skyline of Dubai.

Piranesi #3: Ancient aqueduct into modern viaduct

Piranesi documented many of Rome's ruined aqueducts- selectively demolished by barbarian armies cutting off water to the city.

Philadelphia has its intact water resources, but to the north of the site, the hundreds of feet of the brick arches of the CSX railroad freight line stand as the longest high masonry arcade in the United States. Inspired by Piranesi, continue these arcades, arc them higher over the area and construct them as multilevel highways, incorporating the existing train tracks but also traffic lanes carrying I-76 as well as the Vine Street extension interchange.

Instead of a sub-ground level traffic nightmare, motorists now have the exhilarating experience of viewing the dual skylines of a major American city as they pass into and thru the region. And then the ground level can thrive as a pedestrian-focused urban center.

Piranesi #4: the vaulted ruins of Hadrian's Villa

Piranesi published many etchings of the catacombs, tombs and collapsed corridors under palace floors- in Rome and nearby Hadrian's Villa. One very clear aspect of his city was the clear distinction between the sky, the ground level, and the underground. Unlike so many contemporary multi-level complexes where one finds these three zones detailed and lit interchangeably.

In this image, I have constituted the Amtrak train level beneath the station as an "Underworld"- dark, dank, intimidating, suffocating- where one quickly moves out and up, into the sunlight, into the spacious grandeur of the Waiting Room, into the health and vibrancy of the city. The three zones of sky/earth/ underground are more memorably interpreted as heaven/ purgatory/hell.

Piranesi #5: Popolo: iconic gateway to a great city

Perhaps Piranesi's most famous urban image is that of the Piazza del Popolo- a spacious piazza welcoming pilgrims and visitors to the "Citta Sancta"- the nexus of the Catholic Church. An ancient obelisk defines the spot and twin churches segment the three main avenues that pull one deeply into the Christian city.

The grand open space at 30th and Market Sts- between the old Post Office and 30th Street Station- does none of that. The sense of destination is insipid. Center city's skyline beckons across the river, but the Schuykill is so deeply entrenched between its embankments that nothing watery is seen. In this drawing, the Christopher Columbus obelisk at Penn's Landing has been moved here- a far more compelling location and a deserved monument to a man who pioneered distant travel. Center city beckons one forward or, in reverse, a distinctive and noble marker to West Philadelphia and University City.

Presentations by the 8 participating artists

Opening Reception

PRON RESIDENCE, Elkins Park PA 2016-

Moving into a 25-year old condo, but bringing much of the furniture and furnishings of a lifetime of travel and collecting. Thus, the challenge was to find new relationships and bring new meaning to the familiar and beloved artifacts of our lifestyle: new-and-old. The setting is wooded- high on a south-facing hill and above the treeline. The architecture (not designed by me) is modernist- interior spaces flow into each other and the exterior language is of a village of clustered pavilions grouped along ridges and overlooking wooded swales above the Tookany Creek. Not much in love with the front of the house, but the rear deck and terraces overlooking the forests are wonderful. All-in-all, a fundamental change from a 110-year old house of stone porches and dark oak woodwork and trim.

STRATTON MT SKI LODGE, Vermont 2014

John James Pron, AIA, Design Director, Hospitality Design Group Architects, Chalfont, PA. (consultant to Design& Supply Interiors, Chalfont, PA).

Within an existing timber frame structure, reworking the lounge, bar, food prep and dining spaces to visually interconnect.

BEACH CONDO RENOVATION, Ocean City NJ 2013

John James Pron AIA, Architecure, Elkins Park, PA

Designed originally in 1986 to replace an earlier beach cottage owned by my in-laws, this 2-unit condominium was renovated and redecorated when the lower level unit was inherited in 2010. On a corner lot at the south end of Ocean City, NJ,, it has fine beach views. New kitchen, wood floors and furnishings.

DREIMILLER HOMESTEAD, Waitsfield Vermont 2013

John James Pron AIA, Architecture, Elkins Park, PA 19027

Renovation of a 1796 farmhouse located directly on the Waitsfield Commons, a historic town on the National Register of Historic Places, complete with its covered bridge. The original exterior has been preserved and restored, removing extraneous sheds and garages and adding selective windows. A very contemporary kitchen is the focus of the interior, which has been opened to reveal original handcarved beams and columns. A singe attached shed has been repurposed as a screened porch overing meadows, cow pastures and hills.

POTTSTOWN-LIMERICK AIRPORT, PA 2007-12

John James Pron AIA, Design Director, Hospitality Design Group Architects, Chalfont PA.

Masterplan for the development of a regional airport, including a new terminal, corporate and leased hangers, a pilots' association clubhouse and a museum of antique airplanes. Development included the lengthening of the existing runway as well as for-sale parcels on perimeter roads.

TINDECO WHARF APTS LOBBY, Baltimore, MD 2011

John James Pron AIA, Design Director, Hospitality Design Group Architects, Chalfont PA (consultant to Design & Supply Interiors, Chalfont PA)

Renovation of the existing lobby of a large apartment complex, housed in an old industrial building on the Baltimore waterfront. Design of the front desk and overhead "sails" to soften the angularity of the tall, narrrow lobby, and to echo a nautical theme in the interior.,

BOUTIQUE HOTEL, EATERY AND CAMPUS BOOKSTORE, Swarthmore PA 2009

At the interface of "town and gown", this proposal for a new boutique hotel and restaurant adjoins a new bookstore for the Swarthmore University campus. 2009

DESMOND GREAT VALLEY HOTEL, Malvern, Pa 1994-present

John James Pron AIA, Design Director, Hospitality Design Group Architects, Chalfont PA

Interior reconstruction of an existing business-oriented hotel, introducing a character more appropriate to the architectural heritage of historic Chester County, PA and more amenable to weddings, bar mitzvas and social events.

New Georgian-classical architectural detaiing for the atrium, dining rooms, pub and banquet rooms.

ZVONNITZA, Orthodox Cathedral, Philadelphia 2000

John James Pron AIA, Architecture, Elkins Park, PA

Design for a zvonnitza (a horizontal bell tower) addition to the Orthodox Cathedral of Philadelphia, built in 1980. Proportioned and detailed to harmonize with the existing building and provide a more meaningful gateway at the main entrance to the sanctuary.

INN at LAKE CANANDAIGUA, New York State 2000

John James Pron AIA, Design Director, Hospitality Design Group Architects, Chalfont PA (consultant to Design & Supply Interiors, Chalfont, PA.

Schematic design for a 54-room inn and spa in the Adirondack region of New York State, matching the architectural heritage of the area.

DESMOND HOTEL, Albany NY Masterplan 1995-2007

John James Pron, AIA, Design Director, Hospitality Design Group Architects, Chalfont PA

A multi-year effort, involving several iterations of a masterplan- to add 80 guest rooms, a convention hall and exhanced entertainment, recreational and commercial facilities to an existing 325-room hotel and conference center in the state capitol of New York.

ADAPTIVE REUSE PROPOSALS 1993-4

John James Pron AIA, Design Directory, Hospitality Design Group Architects, Chalfont PA (consultant to Somerset Holdings, Inc, Philadelphia PA)

Design consultant to Somerset Holdings, Inc. developers of new hotels within te existing shells of historic buildings in Philadelphia. Feasibility studies.

PSFS BUILDING, 12th and Market St, Phila. The actual design conversion was accomplished by other developers and architects.

PENNS LANDING HILTON HOTEL , Phila waterfront (proposals for adjustments to the banquet and meeting rooms of a hotel designed by Beyer Blinder Bell, NYC. Construction by others.

READING HEADHOUSE, 12th and Market Sts, Philadelphia. Proposal for the conversion of the vacant structure into a concierge wing serving the Marriott next door. Design and development by others.

THE BOURSE, 5th and Market Sts, Philadlephia. Proposal to convert the lower level commercial and vacant upper levels of office into a hotel. Still awaiting development.

NOONAN RESIDENCE EXTERIOR RENOVATION, Chestnut Hill, Pa 1999

This proposal was to create terraces, pergolas and more elaborate architectural detailing for the Jack Noonan Residence in Chestnut Hill, extending the lifestyle outward in 4 directions.

HOTEL UPPER PROVIDENCE PA 1993

John James Pron AIA, Design Director, Hospitality Design Group Architects, Chalfont, PA

Design for a full-service hotel and conference center in the northwest suburbs of Philadelphia- an area increasingly serving as a hub for several pharmaceutical companies. Design language intended to match the historic heritage of the region.

MISSION INN, Riverside, CA 1992

John James Pron AIA, Design Director, Hospitality Design Group Architects, Chalfont PA

The proposal incorporates selected interventions to reopen a historic hotel under a new operator. New, necessary amenities, but within the architectural language of the Spanish Mission style vernacular.

Built 1902-35, the 240-room hotel was a midpoint waystation between Los Angeles and Palm Springs, CA. Popular among Hollywood celebrities and politicians (Taft, Roosevelt, the Reagans, the Bogarts), its utterly unique architecture blending details and furnishings of many cultures has put it on the National Register of Historic Places.

Mission Inn aerial existing - Copy ok.jpg

reworked existing pics of Mission Inn.jpg

Mission Inn exterior axo dwg - Copy ok.jpg

Mission Inn porte cochere elev - Copy ok.JPG

Mission Inn porte cochere2 elev - Copy ok.JPG

mission inn security gates - Copy ok.jpg

Mission Inn interior axo dwg - Copy ok.jpg

Mission Inn restaurand handicap ent - Copy ok.JPG

Mission Inn new valet station - Copy.jpg

Mission Inn plans and photo views - Copy.jpg

RIVERFRONT HOTEL, Camden, NJ 1992

John James Pron AIA, Design Directory, Hospitality Design Group Architects, Chalfont PA (design consultant to Somerset Holdings, Philadelphia, PA)

On the Camden waterfront, adjacent to the NJ Aquarium and directly across from Philadelphia's Penn's Landing, this hotel proposal directly overlooks a marina and steps back to provide maximum wide views up and down the Delaware River.

Delta Camden Hotel perspect and model.jpg

Delta Camden Hotel site and site plan.jpg

CARIBBEAN AIRBOATS Terminal for St Croix, US Virgin Islands 1990

CARIBBEAN AIRBOATS, new passenger terminal and company logo 1990

Cairibbean Airboats is a seaplane company that flies shuttles between Puerto Rico and several islands of the Virgin Islands, both US and British. There is no need for a runway, so the proposal sits right on the town waterfront. The style of the terminal (designed to welcome visitors to the island) matched the architectural vocabulary of the history, Dutch-founded town.

In addition to the site planning and the architectural design, I was also asked to develop a branding logo for the airline- the Bird of Paradise image was designed for the tail of the planes, the complany stationary and even the air host/hostess uniforms.

HILAND PARK HOTEL, Glens Falls NY 1990

John James Pron AIA, Design Directory, Hospitality Design Group Architects, Chalfont PA

Set into rolling farmland and intended to be an anchor for a new residential community, this proposed 150-room hotel has a complex silhouette- meant to sympathize with surrounding housing. The traditional architectural language- a combination of Georgian colonial, Dutch and early 19th c Greek Revival- alludes to the rich historic heritage of this region, between Saratoga and Lake George.

SULLIVAN RESIDENCE ADDN, Gladwyne PA 1990

JOhn James Pron AIA, Architecture, Elkins Park PA

Addition of a Great Room to the back of a traditional Main Line country house.

DESMOND PLAZA HOTEL, Albany NY 1989

John James Pron AIA, Design Director, Hospitality Design Group Architects, Chalfont PA

Design of a new all-suite 120-room hotel, plus major banqueting and dining facilities, proposed for a vacant site in Albany's "old town" and surrounded by important civic monuments and major urban institutions. The selected architectural language is that of a traditional Beaux Arts grand hotel.

Winner of a developer/designer competition selected by the city.

PENNSBURY MANOR VISITOR CENTER COMPETITION 1988

John James Pron AIA Architect (with John Ernst and James Cimbalista), Elkins Park PA

On the grounds of William Penn's historic Manor House on the upper Delaware River, a new visitor center is proposed to better welcome visitors and school groups, and to communicate its history. The design incorporates older structures into a new composition.

The submission was given and Honorable Mention in this Pennsylvania-architects-only design competition.

BURPULIS RESIDENCE ADDITION, Cherry Hill, NJ 1988

John James Pron, AIA, Architect, Elkins Park PA

Proposed addition to a suburban ranch home- a studio with a separate entrance for the sculptor-owner, connected to the main house with an exhibition corridor and a private garden. The boxiness of the existing house is counterpointed by the diamond-configuration and by curved garden walls.

BALLENA BAY HOTEL, Alameda CA 1988

John James Pron AIA, Design Director, Hospitality Design Group Architects, Chalfont PA

Proposal for a new Victorian-styled hotel on a spit of land projecting into San Francisco Bay and facing that city.

EQUINOX HOTEL Addn, Manchester, VT 1988

The Equinox Hotel in Manchester Village, Vermont is one of the great historic hotels of New England. A new conference center is proposed, along with a new system of enclosed galleries tying together guestrooms with recreation facilities...necessary in the Vermont winter.

MARMAR RESIDENCE, Rydal PA 1987

John James Pron AIA, Architecture, Elkins Park, PA

Proposed renovation of a 1950's early modernist house, giving it an open plan accentuated with postmodern detailing. The sequence of circulation, from entry to garden, repeats architectural motifs while gradually opening up to the landscape.

VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL NEW YORK 1984

John James Pron, AIA, Architecture, Elkins Park, PA

This competition entry is to create a monument for a heterogenous society that is ambiguous enough to evoke contradictory emotions: courage as well as fear, patriotic price as well as political misgivings. However one ultimately feels about the war in Vietnam, this project is nevertheless meant to be a monumental recognition of the sacrifices of so many soldiers.

LATORRE STORE, Old City Philadelphia 1984

John James Pron AIA, Architect, Elkins Park, PA

The need to replace a damaged plate glass shop window with a multi-paned design better scaled to the building is the catalyst to renovate the interior as a space that could become a residential apartment, a store or a small bistro.

Designed as a series of layers, from front to back.

VACATION HOUSE ADDN, Ocean City, NY 1983

John James Pron AIA, Architecture, Elkins Park, PA

Proposal to add a sitting room/roof deck addition to a shingle style house on a corner in Ocean City, NJ>

13TH ST MALL TEMPLE UNIVERSITY Philadelphia 1980

John James Pron AIA, Architecture (design consultant to the Office of Campus Planning, Temple University, Philadelphia PA)

Proposal to close off to vehicular traffic that last major north-south thoroughfare to bisect the university campus. Re-creation of the 5 major intersections as "outdoor rooms"- each with its own distinct character and activities. 1) "north vestibule" at Diamond St, "music room" at Norris St, "living room" at Berks St, "family room" at Montgomery St, and "south vestibule" at Cecil B. Moore Ave. Placement of campus food trucks occurs at the intermediate locations.

20130513163926647_0011 - Copy (2) www.jpg

LES HALLES QUARTER PARIS FRANCE 1979

John James Pron AIA, Architecture, Elkins Park, PA

Submission to an international design competition to re-think the 25-acre site of Victor Baltard's cast iron markets of 1845-70. Programmed as a major underground rapid transit hub and a new shopping complex, this design adjoins historic neighborhoods as well as major French gothic and Renaissance buildings.

This solution overlays three localized architectural traditions- the gothic pattern of enclosing major spaces with spectacular vaulted ceilings, the grand sequences of monumental Beaux Arts layouts, and the fine grain of Parisian rooftop living.

PHILADELPHIA FOODWORKS, Old City Phila 1979

John James Pron AIA, Architecture, Elkins Park, PA

Repurposing the basement of an historic 1840 sugar refinery as a restaurant. Preserving the massive pyramidal supports and heavy timber construction, while adding, as a counterpoint, a cloud-like floating ceiing of wood slats with ends rolling downward. The staircase, also, floats into a pool of natural light in the cave-like space.

ALMSHOUSE HOTEL, Doylestown PA, 1976

John James Pron, project architect, Ragan and Stein, Architects and Landscape Architects, Philadelphia

Blueberry Hill, outside of Doylestown, is crowned by a fine Victorian farmhouse and backed up by barns and other outbuildings, overlooking large fields. This adaptive reuse proposal uses the historic building complex as reception, meeting and dining facilities, while new banks of hotel rooms step down the hillside behind.

fb8d6931e54f4945aee9b19c157d38d3 (1).jpg

TENNIS PAVILION Huntingdon Valley Country Club, PA 1977

John James Pron, project architect, Ragan and Stein, Architects and Landscape Architects, Philadelphia

A small pavilion to overlook the tennis course of the country club- a place to relax, have a drink or a snack, watch the games. Tucked into a grove of trees.

MOYER RESIDENCE ADDITION Buckingham PA 1976

John James Pron, project architect, Ragan and Stein, Architects and Landscape Architects, Philadelphia

Contemporary addition to the rear of a colonial-style house in historic Bucks County, PA. Open up a closed kitchen and glass-in a family room/conservatory connected to the landscape, the morning light and the swimming pool,

U-HAUL-IT PROTOTYPE 1975

John James Pron, project architect, Ragan and Stein, Architects and Landscape Architects, Philadelphia

For a site in West Philadelphia, but intended as a prototype for highway locations.

GOLDMAN HOUSE, Newtown Bucks County 1975

John James Pron, project architect, Ragan & Stein, Architects and Lanscape Architects, Philadelphia, PA

Contemporary house set into the matrix of a Bucks County village.

PRON RESIDENCE, Elkins Park PA 1975-2017

John James Pron AIA, Architect, Elkins Park PA

Restoration and rehabilitation of a 1910 stone house in the Philadelphia suburbs, originally built as a summer home. The traditional architecture is counterpointed by contemporary furnishings, materials and fabrics, as will as ethnic artifacts.

GREYHORSE HOUSES, Willow Grove, PA 1974

John James Pron, project architect, Ragan & Stein, Architects and Landscape Architects, Philadelphia PA

Proposal for 6 houses on a steep slope overlooking Willow Grove, PA. Entrance to the main living floor is by a deck along the road. Bedrooms are beneath and clerestories collect south sunlight on this north-facing slope

DOCK ST OFFICE BUILDING Philadelphia 1973

John James Pron, project architect, Ragan and Stein, Architects and Landscape Architects, Philadelphia PA

A new office building in a historic setting: Dock Street zigzags thru the city grid, historic domed buildings and contemporary apartment towers loom overhead, the design lies low, and carves out a circular garden to allude to the rotunda next door.

M.ARCH DEGREE PROGRAM, GSFA, UNIV OF PENNA 1969-72

I went to the University of Pennsylvania's 4-year B.A. program from 1965 to 1969, majoring in architecture, but at the end of my third year, I was admitted to their Accelerated Program, which allowed me to take First Year Graduate Program courses and studios while still an undergraduate senior.

Admitted to the University's 2 1/2 year Masters Program in Architecture, I then skipped a year, getting my graduate degree in 1972.

LOGAN TOWERS, Philadelphia 1973

John James Pron, project architect, Ragan and Stein, Architects and Landscape Architects, Philadelphia PA

Proposal for a hi-rise apartment tower for the corner of Philadelphia's Logan Circle and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The building steps back to maximize sunlight and steps down to meet the low-rise scale of the museums and cathedral