Habitat: Sexy Unit at the Barclay Comes With Unbelievable History

Can you believe this used to be a de-facto storage unit for Apple products? Photography by christopher Leaman

It’s fitting that a designer and architect from Argentina, who also spent 14 years practicing his craft in London, would stumble upon an apartment whose road-less-traveled history is as unconventional as they come.

Two years ago, Eduardo Ardiles, founder of Studio Edo in Fishtown, and his partner, Joe Ujobai, heard whispers that a 19th-floor unit at the Barclay on Rittenhouse Square was available for rent. The two were hunting for a long-term rental to live in as they renovated their dream home at 21st and Delancey, and Ardiles negotiated a deal in which he’d revamp the apartment in exchange for lower rent.

The pair landed the coveted apartment, but there was a catch: The owner used it to store a vast collection of vintage Apple computers*. “It was almost like a technology crash course in one place,” Ardiles laughs. “A lot of boxes weren’t even open.”

Despite the tech time capsule, Ardiles’s well-trained eye saw the potential in the space. He refinished the bronze handles on the ageless windows, treated the perfectly imperfect plaster walls in glazing and bookbinding paper, and filled each room with a mix of artwork and mid-century furniture. “Everything was here,” he says, “but we wanted to make it more current—a little bit posh because of the location, and a little sexy as well.”

*Michael Metelits is the current owner of this incredible home. His mother, librarian/activist Marion Stokes, was a legendary archivist who meticulously recorded 800,000 hours of TV news footage on 40,000 tapes over 35 years. Stokes was formerly the co-producer of the show Input, and passed away in 2012. The Internet Archive began uploading the massive archive to the internet in 2014.

According to Fast Company, Stokes was an early investor in Apple and had amassed a collection of nearly 200 computers and devices. Check out this story from March 2014, when the Cult of Mac took a closer look at the collection when it was put up for sale on eBay.

Habitat: Barclay Prime

Seductive tones and glazing on the walls contrast beautifully with the open, airy living spaces.

With its jet black high-gloss paint and a woven carpet, the kitchen flaunts the “sexiness of a bar,” says Ardiles.

Though the former grand hotel was converted into condos long ago, this design is aimed as modernizing the space while honoring its past: “It still has a little of the hotel quality that makes it sexy,” says Ardiles.

The design is meant to weave the couple’s history into their new Philadelphia story. The 1940s master bedroom set designed by Jacques Adnet was found at a flea market in Paris; the artwork is by Bernard Segal.

The spacious dining room is highlighted by a pristine chevron floor and offers flexibility for a variety of entertaining options, including two large tables.

The master suite features paintings by renowned British architect Zaha Hadid.

A version of this article originally appeared in the November issue of Philadelphia magazine.