The Shadow checks in at the “other” Divine Hotel on Broad Street, the little-known predecessor of North Philly’s rockstar landmark

Maria Gorshin has the story of a counter-intuitive–and well-conceived–proposal to revive the Divine Lorraine. Turn it into a columbarium for the storage, display, and visitation of funerary ashes and mementos of the lives of loved ones, says designer Jason Lempieri of the firm RethinkTANK.

When the Historic American Buildings survey photographed the Divine Lorraine Hotel in 2000 it was in fine shape. Twelve years, three developers, and millions of dollars in profits (and losses) later, the historic building is a graffiti-scarred wreck

The Divine Lorraine is gutted now, but not so long ago its garish color combinations and haunting atmosphere were a magnet for photographers. We’ve put together a group show from that time–four photographers, four visions of the grand old hotel

An ordinary parking garage on South Broad Street is a part of a much greater story