Just Opened

Streets of Philadelphia Lego Gallery

by Sierra Tishgart

(CLICK IMAGE FOR LARGER VERSION)

Opening reception Fri., Aug. 29, 5:30 p.m., free, 120 N. Third St., 267-761-9236

Philly native Doug Renthal may just be our real-life Batman: He recently swapped his business suit for the heroic pursuit of saving Penn's Landing. Fascinated by urban planning and architecture, Renthal immersed himself in projects when the city began accepting proposals for Penn's Landing development in 2002 — only to watch them crumble and the district remain at a standstill.

Rather than give up, Renthal opened an art gallery as a means to present his vision for the waterfront, using everyone's favorite toy, Legos, to create a 9- by 38-foot model of Penn's Landing. In addition to several buildings that already exist in the area, such as the Independence Seaport Museum, it includes structures that Renthal and fellow developers are in the process of proposing. These range from an observation deck and monument called the "Philadelphia Independence Beacon" to a handicapped-accessible boardwalk (Atlantic City can't have all the fun). Renthal's objective is "to create a liaison between the public and city developers" so that we, the people, can take part in the city's complex development process. In case you were wondering if this guy's legit, he uses Google Earth satellite images to build his scary-accurate models.

The gallery also features Philly-inspired photographs and art by local emerging artists, such as Iranian immigrant Royjar Ghavami's charcoal drawings and work by recent art-school graduate John Evans. Stop by during their "Back From Summer" debut this Friday — the introduction of the new exhibit runs through Sept. 7 — for a glimpse at the city's potential future. Years from now when the Center City District recognizes Renthal's genius and erects one of his designs, you can brag that you got a sneak peek.