Tradestone Café in Conshohocken is the companion café to owner Chip Roman’s Blackfish Restaurant. Roman and his partner Fred Ortega wanted a simple and functional café counter, where he could serve coffee as well as a few ready-made lunch items, and their specialty chocolates, Tradestone Confections. The design of the interior focused on two existing elements of the space. The beautiful existing brick wall, which had been covered, was exposed and sealed. Also, a paneled wood cabinet leftover from the previous tenant, was kept and reused to create mirrored display shelves behind a new banquette.
LOCATION:
Conshohocken, PA
COMPLETED:
Winter 2014
WEBSITE:
www.tradestonecafe.com
*photo credits: Matt Wargo
For Spread Bagelry , located on the Penn University Campus, client Larry Rosenblum asked Stokes to expand on his original Montreal-style bagel shop by adding a bar, and large patio seating area.
With the existing space including a large elevated patio on a busy corner, the façade was opened up on two sides with large glass overhead doors to expand the space to the exterior area, inviting patrons in from the street below.
The primary focus of the interior is the hand-sculpted-brick oven, which, along with the reclaimed wood accents, evokes the Montreal wood oven baking style. Furniture and materials were selected to compliment this style, with an emphasis on natural materials and hand-made quality.
LOCATION:
Philadelphia, PA
COMPLETED:
Summer 2016
WEBSITE:
www.spreadbagelry.com
*photo credits: Matthew Wargo
*in collaboration with Groundswell Design
La Peg is a 100 seat brasserie in the Fringe Arts Building of Philadelphia. The building, an early 20th century high-pressure pump house with a dramatic view of the Ben Franklin Bridge, houses both the restaurant and a 240 seat theater and boasts an outdoor plaza and bar. Stokes collaborated with Groundswell Design on the restaurant and plaza.
Being sensitive to the pump house and its natural beauty, the design embraces the mechanical quality of the space, reusing existing tanks and pumps among newly designed elements, and gives a nod to the building’s former glory with a life size historic photo of the space as a pump house.
LOCATION:
Philadelphia, Pa.
COMPLETED:
Fall 2014
WEBSITE:
www.lapegbrasserie.com
For Hip City Veg’s 3rd location, located on Broad Street in Philadelphia, Stokes worked extensively with the owner, Nicole Marquis, to develop a new material palette that reinforced her commitment to freshness and sustainability. Whites and pastel colors mix with light woods to create a bright, clean, and warm space.
LOCATION:
Philadelphia, PA
COMPLETED:
Winter 2016
WEBSITE:
www.hipcityveg.com/locations/
A googie-style diner in the heart of Bethesda, Maryland. Stokes was integral in every aspect of design, from interior design to logo design.
LOCATION:
Bethesda, MD
COMPLETED:
Summer 2017
WEBSITE:
http://communitybethesda.com/
*photo credits: Matt Wargo
The latest PJs in Newtown Square. The exterior was re-faced with brick and metal paneling. A new “four-seasons” room was added, and to integrate this space into the design, an extended roof/awning was added. Two decorative trident column clusters hold this roof up while defining the patio area.
Inside, the typical PJs palette of stained wood, painted wood, and brick were used to create bar and dining areas that flow seamlessly together.
WORK:
-architecture
-interior design
-custom furniture design
LOCATION:
Newtown Square, PA
COMPLETED:
Spring 2018
WEBSITE:
www.pjspub.com
*photo credits: Matthew Wargo
Ibis Condominium is the final phase of construction at Seapointe Village, a planned vacation community on the ocean featuring 500 units, 3 pools and a private beach. Ibis contains 22 residential units, underground parking, a central sales office serving the entire community, and an indoor/outdoor pool. The building wraps around a pool courtyard on two sides, and the third side contains two cottages overlooking the pool. There are 6 terrace units on the main floor, which have large private outdoor terraces. The upper floors contain 14 unique veranda units, which are each three floors, including bedrooms on the lower floor, living spaces on the main floor, and a light filled loft on the top floor. The pool, contained within the center courtyard, is the central focus of the project. Most of the pool is sheltered indoors, with a portion extending to the lagoon outside. The indoor pool contains a spa, and a central waterwall.
LOCATION:
Wildwood Crest, NJ
COMPLETED:
Spring 2007
*in collaboration with Shawn Hausman Design and SOSH Architects
The Chelsea, a 350 room hotel overlooking the famous Atlantic City Boardwalk, is one of the first non-gaming hotels in the city. The hotel was created by renovating and joining two existing hotels – a Holiday Inn, and a Howard Johnsons. Stokes Architecture was involved in the design of the numerous public spaces.
There are two restaurants, managed by Starr Restaurant Organization – Chelsea Prime (a steakhouse) and Teplitskys Coffee Shop. Also included are two swimming pools, a large spa and wellness center, a ballroom, and 3 bars and lounges on the Fifth Floor. Chelsea Prime evokes the feel of a 1940’s era supper club. Teplitskys, named after the original hotel at the site, was inspired by 1960’s California coffee shops, and has a garden room opening out onto a saltwater pool.
LOCATION:
Atlantic City, Nj
COMPLETED:
Summer 2008
WEBSITE:
www.thechelsea-ac.com
A gas station and foodery in Cape May, NJ
WORK:
-architecture
-interior design
-custom light fixture design
-custom furniture design
LOCATION:
Cape May, NJ
COMPLETED:
Spring 2019
WEBSITE:
http://exitzero.us/filling-station/
*photo credits: Matt Wargo
*in collaboration with Shawn Hausman Design
For the latest Continental, Stokes teamed again with Shawn Hausman Design. Located in in the original lobby building of the Ankara Motel, built in 1954, the restaurant could not be more at home.
Working with that building, a number of design elements were added to compliment the interesting architecture. To highlight the swooping triangular roof, a mural was painted on the ceiling in a colorful triangular pattern. Patios flanking the front and rear of the building are lushly planted, and a perimeter trellis on the interior of the building brings that planting inside as well, and the fixtures and finishes recall the era of the original building, as well as the other 2 Continental Restaurants created by Hausman and Stokes.
LOCATION:
Miami, FL
COMPLETED:
Winter 2016
WEBSITE:
www.continentalmiami.com
*in collaboration with Shawn Hausman Design
Le Zoo at The Shops at Bal Harbour continues Stephen Starr’s streak of excellent Brasseries, designed to look and feel like an authentic, timeless French café. At Le Zoo, Stokes once again partnered with Shawn Hausman Design.
With its Florida location, the French Riviera was the primary source of inspiration, and gave the restaurant a brighter and sunnier look, with greenery both inside and out. Authentic French mid-century modern light fixtures, ringed with neon, highlight the dining room, which focuses on 2 aspects; a softly lit, glowing bar, which sits opposite an open kitchen and large raw bar.
LOCATION:
Bal Harbour, FL
COMPLETED:
Winter 2016
WEBSITE:
www.lezoo.com
Tableau is a cafe and “grab-n-go” service counter at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (PAFA). Fitting into the existing rough, industrial space and evoking the utilitarianism of an artist’s studio, Stokes designed a number of unique elements constructed of plywood, including the counter, light fixtures, display shelving, and trestle-style community tables.
LOCATION:
Philadelphia, PA
COMPLETED:
Spring 2015
*photo credits: Matthew Wargo
The pour house in Exton, PA is the second in a franchise for restauranteur Bob Platzer. As a fit out of an existing structure built specifically for a suburban chain restaurant, the architectural design of the space was fairly simple. A screened in porch was added outside, as was a raised dining platform, a fireplace, and a raw bar inside.
For this new Pour House, the client wanted a more industrial aesthetic while maintaining the original theme of a “rock and roll” beer bar. Reclaimed wood, steel, brick, and concrete make up most of the new finishes while the walls are donned with the owner’s personal collection of rock posters. A number of custom furniture and light fixtures were designed, along with some hand painted signage, to reflect this industrial meets rock style.
As the large craft beer selection is the main conceit of the restaurant, the primary focus of the space is the impressive handcrafted bar. A live edge bar top was milled from a 60” diameter English chestnut tree (as were the tops of the custom community tables), which had come from the estate of the Duke of Northumberland in England. The beer lines are housed in large, copper pipes, evoking an old brewery, and a large steel and metal mesh canopy floats above the bar, surrounded by vintage light fixtures.
LOCATION:
Exton, PA
COMPLETED:
Summer 2013
WEBSITE:
www.pjspourhouse.com
*photo credits: Matthew Wargo
The Galvanic Store is an 1100 square foot retail store on the Washington Street Mall in Cape May, NJ. The existing building (a historical Victorian house which formerly housed a gifts and tchotchke shop) was completely gutted to accommodate the new design (which included a new mezzanine office space). In accordance with the client’s desire for a “rough, industrial” aesthetic, a new concrete floor was poured and polished, and the walls were lined with reclaimed wood. In contrast, Stokes Architecture designed a number of sleek, modern display units that reflect the hip, street-art culture that the store represents.
LOCATION:
Cape May, NJ
COMPLETED:
Summer 2013
WEBSITE:
