THE FILLMORE philadelphia

LOCATION: Philadelphia, PA

STATUS: Complete

YEAR: 2015

The Fillmore Theater, the Anchor Tenant of the Ajax Building is a 3000 person entertainment venue located on Delaware Avenue south of the Fishtown Neighborhood. The project is a successful example of adaptive reuse in an area long neglected and abandoned.

The Ajax building, formerly known as the Ajax Metal Company, was built in phases from 1899 through 1944, and stands on an irregularly shaped lot.

For nearly six decades, the Ajax company specialized in the smelting and refining of brass and bronze in this location. The complex consists of six joined brick buildings. The Building was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.

The irregular shape of the building complex and its unique relationship to the street allowed Live Nation to creatively adapt the building for a new life. The most prominent original features were retained and exposed, including monumental spaces, primary interior walls and industrial details, such as columns and cranes.

To reuse the structure the interior steel riveted trusses stayed in place, and new trusses were installed between each original column to hold up the mezzanine. Bevan Lawson Engineers designed the new trusses to match the old. In the foundry, a VIP portion of the venue, the existing steel structure was raised two feet to gain ceiling height. The raised trusses kept the original character intact will providing an exciting backdrop for smaller musical events and gatherings.

The Interior Design of the venue, By Ewing Cole, capitalizes on the industrial character while introducing the history and culture of the Live Nation brand. Live Nation’s organization has talented artists who painted original works on the interiors behind the bars and on the walls indicating the restrooms.

The bars utilize riveted fronts and the back bar sculpture by Bill Curran provides a vivid dramatic screen between the bar and main seating area. The lighting, by Bandit, introduces some of the elements from the original Fillmore in San Francisco, while lighting the building’s surfaces and structure.