Architectural Polymers

The Study at University City is an award-winning, 150,000 square foot, 10-story luxury hotel at the intersection of Drexel University and the University of Pennsylvania in the heart of Philadelphia. Developed by Hospitality 3 and designed by Digsau, The Study has received a 2018 PCI Design Award for the Best Hotel/Motel Building as well as the prestigious Architectural Excellence Design Honor Award in the built category.

The goal for the design was to create a “sophisticated urban hotel that calls attention to itself with a strong connection to the street” said Paul McGowan of Hospitality 3, the owner of the Study Hotels. At the onset of the project, Digsau was challenged by a tight jobsite in a busy urban environment and significant time constraints. Precast concrete with thin brick emerged to provide a cost-effective, time-efficient and lightweight solution to accommodate the unique structural design.

The precast concrete brick panels were created by Universal Concrete with Versa-Brix® 3-D custom formliners from Architectural Polymers. The three-dimensional garden-wall bond pattern and metallic accents of the Manganese Ironspot thin brick from Endicott create an animated façade.