Inspired by the 1920s art-deco Mastbaum Theater that once occupied this Philadelphia site, Convene Commerce Square brings the luxe and wonder of an old-world theater to a 21st- century, premium meeting and event space. In the interest of sustainability, this project renovated an existing footprint. We preserved the concrete floors and reused as much of the mechanical and electrical infrastructure as possible, while upgrading to efficient systems in areas of full renovation. However, the existing floorplan was challenging to navigate. We divided Convene’s floorplan into four color-coded quadrants to improve orientation and wayfinding, and embraced the extensive corridors of the space as dark, backstage halls. At the end of the corridors, we created framed views or feature vignettes to capture interest and draw the user forward, nodding to the proscenium of the theater. The selected colors and finishes derive from notable theatres from around the world. Colors of both historic and contemporary theaters, such as gold, green, blue and red, infuse the space to create a playful elegance. To reflect and include the Philadelphia community, in which the building exists, we commissioned local artist Nile Livingston to paint 4 custom murals of historic theaters and landmarks in the city. Each colored quadrant features Convene’s signature meeting rooms of varying sizes with dedicated break-out areas for dining and receptions, as well as Convene’s Nourish bar for self-service snack and beverage and phone booths for added convenience. The spaces provide flexibility for each client’s individual and diverse needs. We are confident that these flexible amenities will be invaluable in 2021, 2022 and beyond, as we return to a new style of working. The demand for amenitized meeting and event spaces will grow as the traditional office will likely see a large work from home and satellite workforce. We also believe that Convene’s inspiring visuals will excite people about coming back to the in-person work environment. Premium workspaces like Convene encapsulate the ever-evolving future of commercial real estate, as they provide the space to collaborate in the new ways the unpredictable future will demand.