U. Hosts charity ball on 40th and Walnut construction site

Decked out in brightly colored evening gowns and dark-black tuxedos, Philadelphia's elite gathered on the Penn campus Saturday to dance the night away on top of a dusty cement floor inside a hastily erected vinyl tent. Not your typical place for a charity ball. But the Beaux Arts Ball is not a typical charity event. Held annually at a major construction site in the city, the ball is the largest charity event for a single beneficiary in the nation and this year brought an estimated 3,700 people to what will soon be a grocery store and parking lot at 40th and Walnut streets. The event not only raised money for the Foundation for Architecture program to improve public school architectural education, but also showcased the University's plans to enhance the 40th Street corridor. Held in a 45-foot tall temporary tent on the northwest corner of 40th and Walnut streets -- the site of the future Freshgrocer.com grocery store -- the event included live music by Kuni Mikami, East of the Sun, Monkey Bus and Spin City. The guest list was filled with the names of Philadelphia's notables, drawing city and University luminaries like Mayor Ed Rendell and University President Judith Rodin. Executive Vice President John Fry and Philadelphia City Council member Jannie Blackwell, both of whom served as co-chairs on the ball planning committee, were also in attendance. Others present at the event included members of city architectural firms, law firms, financial institutions and government agencies. "All those components that work on physical development are substantially represented in this room tonight," Foundation for Architecture President John Higgins said. This year's theme was Cyberopolis: Surrealist creations veiled in Jade & Time, a synthesis of Asian and futuristic motifs. The evening began at 6 p.m. with cocktails and music, followed by a dinner catered by the Frog Commissary that included filet of beef and Chilean sea bass. The meal was followed by a striped genoise tower with ginger mousse on a pool of creme anglaise and chocolate hearts, a dessert created by the caterer specifically for the ball, a tradition that began at the Foundation's first ball in 1981. The 1,233 dinner guests sat in tables of 10 and paid $250 for the meal. At 9:30 p.m. the tables were cleared away and the doors were opened to an estimated 2,500 people attending only the ball portion of the evening. The cost of attending the ball was $80 in advance or $90 at the door. Guests had the opportunity to view computer-generated advertisements called E-Billboards displayed on monitors throughout the tent. Additionally, a virtual-reality video game, replete with simulation goggles and movement-sensitive input gloves, was available for partygoers' use. The plans for the new Sundance Cinema complex and Freshgrocer.com building were on display as well. The unique, post-modern design of the new buildings fit well with the futuristic theme of the evening, Higgins said. Some guests came in costume for the Halloween-weekend party, but for those who did not, costume hats and elaborate face-painting were available inside the ball. At midnight, participants formed a parade and awards were given for costumes in five different categories with prizes ranging from a gym membership to a getaway weekend at the New Jersey shore. Each year the foundation chooses to host the ball on the site of a building in progress. This is the second consecutive year that the ball was held on Penn's expanding campus. "For many people, getting into an unfinished building is exciting," Higgins said. Last year, the event was held in the incomplete portion of the Sansom Common complex, which now houses the Inn at Penn, the Ivy Grille and other retail tenants. "We very much admire the public spaces that Penn has helped to establish," Higgins said. "It's a very exciting opportunity for Philadelphia to work with Penn on the amenities they're providing for both the University community and the city community." In addition to the Architecture in Education program, which brings architectural-awareness education to 50 schools in the Philadelphia region, the Foundation also offers walking tours of the city, puts up destination signage throughout Philadelphia and recommends or opposes all major building projects in the city.