The Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia has announced the winners of the 2018 Preservation Achievement Awards, including individuals, organizations, structures, and spaces that contribute to the Philadelphia region's unique character.
"This year's Grand Jury winners exhibit astonishing variety, from a nature center housed in the onetime home of John Audubon, to the conservation of the William Penn statue at City Hall, to the rehabilitation of a Victorian mansion for a corporate headquarters in Moorestown, NJ," said Paul Steinke, Alliance Executive Director, "demonstrating the breadth of preservation efforts in the City and throughout the region."
Awards will be presented in two categories: Grand Jury Awards for historic building projects that have been restored or renovated in an exemplary way; and Special Recognition Awards for people and organizations that champion preservation. The most prestigious Special Recognition honor is the James Biddle Award for lifetime achievement, which goes to Jeffrey A. Cohen, Ph.D., revered Professor of Architectural History in the department of Growth and Structure of Cities at Bryn Mawr College.
Twenty-one exemplary projects will be honored this year, including the restoration of public sculpture; adaptive reuse of a derelict bank, chapel and factory; and renovation of historic apartments, academic buildings and private homes.
The iconic Divine Lorraine Hotel is among the most prominent of the Grand Jury Award winners. Standing vacant for over a decade, this once-decaying 1890s landmark on North Broad Street was transformed by EB Realty Management Corp into an elegant apartment tower that supports the continued revitalization of one of Philadelphia's major commercial corridors.
Photo: Melissa Romero
more: preservationalliance.com (38)