Boston, December 18, 2006 – Shawmut Design and Construction recently completed construction of Oceanaire Seafood Room, which opened its doors in Philadelphia last month. Over the 24-week project duration, Shawmut partnered with the restaurant CEO, Terry Ryan, a Camden native, and designer, 20 Below Studio, to transform a historic Frank Furness-designed former bank building in Center City, into an elegant 12,000 square foot restaurant space. Oceanaire features 30-foot ceilings, high-end mahogany mill work, and a mezzanine which includes two private dining rooms.
The project team worked closely with the Philadelphia Historic Society to preserve the building’s historic integrity, a core Shawmut strength. While minor changes were made to the building’s exterior, the interior was meticulously renovated to create an atmosphere that reflects a 1930s ocean liner, a key element of 20 Below Studio’s design.
“As Shawmut built-out Oceanaire in Philadelphia, we saw both our vision and the designers’ plan come to life,” said Terry Ryan, CEO, Oceanaire Seafood Room. “While the team worked to overcome the challenges of renovating a century-old building, in a tight urban location, we realized we found the right partners in Shawmut and 20 Below Studio.”
Oceanaire is located at 700 Walnut Street in Philadelphia, next to a multi-story condominium and adjacent Washington Street Park. The residential neighborhood presented additional logistical challenges for Shawmut since the project team was restricted to working at night and had to use the cramped, existing space as a staging area.
Shawmut’s Restaurant Group builds nationally-recognized restaurants such as New York City’s Masa, per se and Nobu 57, as well as themed and national concept restaurants including The Cheesecake Factory, California Pizza Kitchen, Legal Sea Foods, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, and McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants, to name a few.
About Shawmut
Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts with offices in New York, NY and Providence, RI, Shawmut Design and Construction is a $600 million national construction management firm providing client-oriented services for retail, restaurant, academic, banking, corporate interiors, cultural and historic preservation, and science and healthcare markets. Visit Shawmut at www.shawmut.com.
