Two years after the public launch of a $40 million fundraising campaign, Germantown Friends School held a grand opening celebration for the largest element of that effort: a 40,000 square foot “All-School Commons.” Since the event happened during the school’s alumni weekend, on May 16, they also called on some big names to emcee the festivities.

Wesley Stace, a GFS parent, novelist, and musician, who performs under the stage moniker John Wesley Harding, was joined by musician Eric Bazilian, a 1971 alum who also helped start legendary Philly rock band The Hooters. At the opening, Stace emceed “Friends in Common,” a version of his acclaimed “Cabinet of Wonders,” variety show, featuring student poets and musicians Vance Holliday, Precious Eshiet, Maurice Williams, the student chorus, Chinese music ensemble, and teacher ensemble.

GFS athletes got their moment in the spotlight as well, when the school’s all-time scorer, the class of 1990’s Jonathan Haynes, saw his jersey retired (#21) and, for the first time in 34 years, his record broken. Junior Jordan Dill earned the spot in a January game against the Shipley Gators, racking up a career total of 2,022 points. 

Stretching high, growing roots

The new 40,000 square foot all-school building was designed by Philadelphia firm Digsau — the architects behind Greene Street Friends School’s 2010 renovation — and New York-based architect Leslie Gill. Gill’s bona fides match well with the site’s focus on creativity: she also designed headquarters for music industry titans Elektra and Warner Brothers Records, as well as producing her own sculptural projects. 

Connecting GFS’ performing arts facility and newly renovated gym-turned-dining-hall, the commons stretches three floors high.

The building also helps empower artistic creation, with a new fabrication lab, darkroom, and film and ceramics studios. Of course, as all good artists know, details matter. GFS went all-in on those, too, with a pizza oven in the dining hall, ADA compliant elevators, halls, and doorways, and two green roofs planted to absorb stormwater runoff. 

The school also acknowledges what was sacrificed to make way for the project. When a campus willow oak was felled during construction, it was sent to Wilmington, Delaware’s Challenge Program. Challenge is a nonprofit that helps motivate high school students by rewarding them for achieving academic and personal goals and connecting them with local businesses. 

There, students learning vocational skills crafted the wood into wide tables for use in the commons and classrooms. GFS certainly hopes now big ideas will sprout and community roots will grow where that tree once stood. 

Wendy Rosenfield can be reached at Wendy@chestnuthilllocal.com.