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Illuminated by Art in and for Philadelphia
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Illuminated by Art in and for Philadelphia

Set along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, steps from the museums and public art that define it, Windsor Suites carries Philadelphia’s creative legacy forward. Our renovated lobby and mezzanine spaces bring together new and existing artworks, each offering a distinct perspective on the ideas, discoveries and unexpected connections that shape the city. Together, the works illuminate a city that has always believed in chasing an idea and seeing where it leads.

The Lobby Mural, by Branche Coverdale

The story

The story

Philadelphia muralist Branche Coverdale painted this custom commission for our lobby — his first major mural for an interior space. It reimagines the Benjamin Franklin Parkway itself: the museums, the public art, and the people who move through it every day, rendered in the bright, celebratory color and movement Coverdale is known for across the city.

The process

The process

Coverdale painted the mural by hand over roughly a week with assistant Paige Mehrer — printing a light guide of the final design onto mural cloth, then hand-painting it panel by panel before it was installed across the lobby wall like wallpaper.

In the artist's words

"One thing that surprised me was learning that the Windsor Suites building was originally a hospital. In some ways, hotels and hospitals share a common goal: caring for people and making visitors feel comfortable. That connection became an inspiring part of the project."

What surprised you about this project?

"Most guests felt a sense of joy, connection and familiarity as they came in the door. I want people to recognize the landmarks and celebrate Philadelphia's creative spirit — and maybe get curious enough to go explore the real thing."

 

What do you want guests to feel?

    The collection

    "Through the Lens of Inquiry" — Etched Glass Installation — BK

    "Through the Lens of Inquiry" — Etched Glass Installation

    Location:  Lobby Level 

    A monumental etched-glass panel, illuminated from below, inscribed with equations and fragments of theory drawn from physics and astronomy — Philadelphia's restless, chalkboard-in-motion curiosity rendered in light. Glass, the most transparent of materials, becomes the point: understanding is layered, and what you're looking for is often just past what you can see at first glance.

    Gene Strand — Custom 3-Story Chandelier — Andrea Sheehan

    Gene Strand — Custom 3-Story Chandelier

    Location: Lobby, main desk backdrop

    A 40-foot sculptural light installation spiraling through two stories of the lobby, its double-helix form modeled on a human gene. Conceived as a vertical thread connecting every floor it passes, it's a quiet metaphor for what a city like Philadelphia runs on: distinct people, one shared, evolving structure. As light travels the strand, it links the lobby to the mezzanine above — the literal centerpiece behind the front desk.

    Untitled Series — Ryan Beck, Philadelphia

    Untitled Series — Ryan Beck

    Location: Back Pod

    Ryan Beck's abstract work is as much about the act of painting as the finished piece. Color and layered line sit in tension — energy held together by structure — with visible brushwork keeping the process out in the open. Beck wants viewers to sit with how a work comes together, not just what it depicts.

    "The Measure of Feeling" — Windsor Emotional Levers Installation — SM

    "The Measure of Feeling" — Windsor Emotional Levers Installation

    Location: Back Pod

    An interactive sculpture built around six levers — Marvelous, Blue, Reflective, Exciting, Mercurial, Balanced — that guests set to however they're actually feeling, not how they think they should. Light and reflection shift as the levers move, and no setting stands alone; adjusting one changes how the others read. Inspired by Philadelphia's long history of inquiry, it turns something as private as emotion into something guests can see, touch and share.

    White Noise Series (Custom Commission) — B. Collins

    White Noise Series (Custom Commission) — B. Collins

    Location: Lobby Level

    A custom commission by artist B. Collins.

    Math Glass — Campbell

    Math Glass — Campbell

    Location: Lobby Level

     

    See It In Person

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