DesignPhiladelphia is winding down, but there is still plenty to see this weekend as the annual celebration championing design in all forms comes to a close on October 23.

Have you noticed all the activity taking place at the empty lot at 313 S Broad St this week? The temporary exhibition and installation, aptly titled Not A Vacant Lot, is a response to Philadelphia’s pervasive vacancy problem. Curious? Stop in. Like nearly all of DesignPhiladelphia’s programming, it’s free and open to the public, through Sunday, October 23.

The project, in partnership with The University of the Arts, independent curator Marianne Bernstein and PennDesign students, has transformed the lot into a unique space using landscape design, installations, film screenings and other cultural offerings.

One of the highlights is artist and curator Marianne Bernstein’s newest project, The Play House, which is a multi-purpose aluminum 8x8’ cube installed within the exhibition. Teams of artists were invited to activate vacant lots throughout Philadelphia and document their work through short films. These films are being projected on the exterior of The Play House from 7-10 p.m. nightly. Performances are also taking place from within The Play House 4-7 p.m. daily. Read more »