PHILADELPHIA, PA—Philippe Starck will design the interior of the SLS LUX Philadelphia Hotel, planned for the former site of the legendary Philadelphia International Records at the corner of Broad and Spruce Streets in Philadelphia. Developer Dranoff Properties and sbe, a hospitality, lifestyle and real estate development company are building the 47-story tower with 152 boutique hotel rooms. The project will be Starck's first in Philadelphia, and will continue the development of the city's "Avenue of the Arts," which already includes attractions in culture, the arts, and fine dining. and more.

"French design has long been a hallmark of Philadelphia's aesthetic," says Carl Dranoff, founder and CEO of Dranoff Properties. "In the early twentieth century, it was Paul Philippe Cret who gave us the celebrated Rodin Museum, the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, the Benjamin Franklin Bridge and the National Memorial Arch in Valley Forge. Today, it is Philippe Starck who is poised to redefine Philadelphia design with the SLS LUX Philadelphia Hotel. To have an interior designer of Philippe's caliber and world-class acclaim for this project truly speaks to Dranoff Properties' and sbe's shared commitment to excellence but also, to the transformational nature of this project for Philadelphia as an emergent global city."

The famed designer's relationship with sbe and Sam Nazarian, sbe's chairman, began in 2005 as the design-centric brand planned to open its first luxury hotel in Beverly Hills. Starck guided the interior vision for the project, including an indoor piazza for the property. Since that collaboration, Starck has served as the exclusive hotel interior designer for all SLS properties.