5.20.10 | Philadelphia, PA | Bringing new energy to the heart of Philadelphia’s historic district, the Philadelphia based, globally renowned, interiors and architecture firm, Daroff Design Inc + DDI Architects, PC (DDI), has announced the redesign and renovation of the Historic Philadelphia Center and Lights of Liberty Show.

Set amid attractions such as the Betsy Ross House and Franklin Square, the new Historic Philadelphia Center features a 360-degree, 3-D, digital theater in the round. “The sleek, engaging makeover provides an expanded opportunity for heritage tourism. The show will be open 360 days a year, day and night and will provide local citizens and  tourists with an exciting opportunity to learn the story of American Independence in the heart of where it actually happened”, says Karen Daroff, IIDA, president of The Women Owned Business (WBE), Daroff Design Inc. “The client team asked us to update and reposition the Lights of Liberty venue to increase tourism while engaging and attracting a younger audience to Philadelphia’s acclaimed historic venues,” Says Stephen Beacham, principal at Daroff Design, the firm providing the planning, interior design, architecture and environmental graphics for the project.

According to Beacham, the HPI center expands on its original mission as a retail location and information center by showing theatrical reenactments of American history. Adding new life and 21st-century HD technology to the Center while carefully respecting the landmark Public Ledger Building’s neoclassical detailing. Beacham and principal-in-charge Karen Daroff, IIDA completely reinvented the space to accommodate a new elevated 3-D theater and improved retail venue along with other visitor amenities.

Created in collaboration with highly regarded Theater Design consultant David Niles, Niles Creative Group concepted the 65 person theater in the round with a dramatic 50-foot-diameter by eight-foot-high circular LED screen which is the centerpiece of the new design. The show is a continuous loop of historic imagery and storytelling, adding a modern counterpart to Historic Philadelphia’s popular outdoor performance venues. The LED screen announces the excitement though the massive historic windows along 6th Street. “We’ve created an elevated viewing area where guests ascend a gentle ramp that leads them into the inside of the cylinder. Once inside, the audience is taken on a spectacular, immersive, historic visual journey”, says Daroff.

The viewing space is a platform cantilevered from a central support in the middle of the space. The screen is a 360-degree floating cylinder that is 50 feet in diameter, eight feet in height, and consists of 16 million pixels. The cylinder’s exterior surface can be seen from the street and is covered with LED technology and prismatic lensing, providing a continuous spectacular kinetic animation. The show incorporates eight 3-D projectors. Once Liberty 360 opens in July 2010, it will operate as a year-round, all seasons attraction, open seven days a week, 360 days a year.

A new Historic experience

Lights of Liberty is one of several popular attractions created and operated by Historic Philadelphia, Inc., an organization dedicated to enhancing visitor experience and helping strengthen Philadelphia’s tourism industry through interpretation and interaction. Historic Philadelphia Inc. (HPI) maintains “Once Upon a Nation,” the award-winning, branded Storytelling Benches located throughout Philadelphia, as well as The Betsy Ross House and Franklin Square featuring the Philadelphia Park Liberty Carousel. The mission of HPI is “making our nation’s history more relevant and more real.”

Located inside the historically certified 1921 Public Ledger Building bordering Independence Plaza, the Lights of Liberty Welcome Center has been designed within the Georgian Revival façade and ornate, wood-paneled interior, originally created by the architect Horace Trumbauer. “Our goal was to respect existing historic fabric of the neoclassic interior environment while incorporating a new high-tech 21st Century multimedia entertainment experience”, says Daroff. All original ceilings and wall paneling will remain, along with the arched windows, detailed ornamentation and fluted wood columns. It becomes an interesting juxtaposition, clearly delineating old from new”, says Beacham.     

Experience in entertainment, retail and hospitality

With wide-ranging experience in themed entertainment and hospitality projects, Daroff Design brings global experience to its hometown project. Recent projects by the firm have included the new Corporate Headquarters by Comcast located at the Comcast Center. In addition, Daroff Design is renowned for its involvement in aviation, restaurant, hotel, casino and resort architecture. In addition to Comcast, other current and past clients include Disney Universal Studios and Viacom. DDI has recently expanded it’s hospitality client base to China, currently working on two projects for the Chinese Department of Tourism in Philadelphia’s sister city of Tianjin. Other exciting domestic projects include numerous projects nationally for Loews Hotels, Westin, Hilton and Ritz Carlton. Other recently completed and noteworthy Philadelphia projects include Philadelphia International Airport’s Terminal D/E Expansion and a recently completed renovation of Center Square across from Philadelphia’s City Hall.

Renowned nationally and internationally, the 50 person architectural and interior design firm, Daroff Design Inc + DDI Architects, PC has offices in Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Shanghai.