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Tour the Bok building’s studios at an open house this weekend

Get a behind-the-scenes look at what the creative community has been up to in the historic building

By Melissa Romero
The Bok building is hosting an open house on Saturday, June 10.
Photo by Michael Persico

For the past couple of summers, hundreds of people have flocked to the rooftop bar above the historic Bok building in East Passyunk. But if you’ve ever wondered what goes on down below in the massive building’s old classrooms, this weekend is your chance.

On Saturday, June 10, the current artists, makers, and creatives of the Bok building at 1901 S 9th Street are opening their doors to the public for an open house they’re calling Studios@Bok. Bok founder Lindsey Scannapieco tells Curbed Philly that the event has been organized by the tenants and will feature exhibits of their work all throughout the building.

A post shared by Building Bok (@buildingbok) on

The event starts at 5 p.m. will feature a pop-up boutique with clothing and furniture handcrafted by “bok makers,” and live music and artwork will on display over at Fringe Salon until 10 p.m.

In 2013, Scannapieco purchased the Bok building, formerly the Edward W. Bok Vocational School, with the intention of turning it into an innovative maker space. To date, the 340,000-square-foot building has become home to the rooftop restaurant and bar, a hair salon, hat maker, dog park, day care, and more.

Scannapieco says as of today, there is 40,000 square feet of space available for lease and an additional 30,000 square feet coming online within the next year.

Can’t make the June 10 studio tour? There’s another community tour of the building for the neighborhood on Sunday, June 18 from 2 to 3 p.m.

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