PENDULUM CELEBRATES 15 YEARS OF INNOVATION - JULY 1, 2022

PENDULUM CELEBRATES 14 YEARS - JULY 1, 2021

When Pendulum was hired by the City of Gastonia to design the Franklin Urban Sports & Entertainment District (FUSE) - the new home of the Gastonia Honey Hunters, we knew it was the beginning of something special. Fast forwarding just over two years, the project is pretty much complete.

As a token of our appreciation we decided to design, execute, and gift sixteen pairs of Pendulum Custom Honey Hunters Dunks to a small group of individuals that fueled the vision. Our custom Dunks were designed with the intent of a factory look and feel. The details in packaging and execution put them over the top.

This is proof that when you hire Pendulum you get more than architecture...you get a part of us.

PENDULUM CELEBRATES 12 YEARS

The Pendulum Family celebrated 12 years on Tuesday, April 23 at Kansas City’s new Crossroads Hotel with a dinner at Lazia followed by a cocktail party in their private event space - featuring entertainment by debut artist collab ‘CINEMA MUSIC’ - lead by our friend, Josh Williams [@behrproductions]. Our friends, clients and family joined us for custom-signature Pendulum drinks, custom Christopher Elbow chocolates, candy, good times and dancing - certainly a celebration for the books. Shout out to Crossroads Hotel for hosting, Cinema Music for the incredible soundtrack for the evening and Adri Guyer for the photos #PendulumXII

JORDANS AS ART.

Pendulum + WyCo Vintage Opening Reception
the event featured custom painted Js by Kansas City local artist and tattooer [Mercy Seat] Mikey Wheeler and porcelain Jordan lights by LA-based KCAI alum ceramicist Brock DeBoer… thank you to everyone that came through.

This project is inspired by my love for culture, style and brand, but also for the irony of acquiring something that for me was once unobtainable in multiples, then customizing them in collaboration with an amazing artist in a way that makes them custom, personal, and once again unobtainable for anyone but me.

This pair of Js is a tribute to our journey as a company. Our testimony in support of our unwillingness to give up or get distracted. We launched at the beginning of the economic downturn and have never stopped swinging… it’s what Pendulums do.

We are fueled by our success at being what we’re not supposed to be.. so they say. We are inspired by the people within and around our circle that continually challenge us to be better than even we think we can be. - Jonathan O’Neil Cole, Pendulum Principal/Owner

Design is Everywhere Volume 02 Sportswear Passion

For the last 23 years I’ve spent virtually every day of my life working in some capacity on sports projects. That being said, my work has required relentless travel across the nation to service my clients and projects.  One of the many things I learned early in my career from my mentor Henry Stickney (former CEO of Mandalay Baseball Properties) is, “if you’re going to travel – log miles with one airline.”  When we first met we were “logging miles” together on TWA exclusively. He would layover in St. Louis, MO just long enough for me to meet up with him for a flight to Dayton, OH. We did this every week for about two years. After TWA was bought out we started logging miles on Delta. Two million miles later… the rest is history.

This volume of “Design Is Everywhere” is documentation of my travels and a tribute to my many clients over the years. One of the additional lessons learned from Hank, as the owner/operator of several Minor League Baseball teams and the individual who taught me everything I know about the business of baseball, is, “when you go to a ballpark, you should always buy merchandise; after all, it’s all about the per caps baby!”.  I’ve kept that lesson close to my heart for the last 20 years. He helped me to understand that my contribution to the ballpark-built environment is about more than just lines on paper. The truth of the matter is that I’m a real fan of the game and a fan of what my clients do. I’m excited about their brands and I proudly wear their gear on the streets of Kansas City all the time. When we design a ballpark, we pour our sweat and occasional tears into what we are doing; as far as I’m concerned we are members of the team even though we’re not playing on the field. As such we find that during the process of design there are a few funny stories that develop along the way. Even more important than that: there are real relationships that we’ve developed and nurtured over the years that are a byproduct of the work. Some of these relationships have absolutely shaped who we have become. So shout out to all the teams featured in this volume; we wouldn’t be who we are without you!

Stay tuned for the next volume release, we’ll share a few stories about how several of our clients have impacted our trajectory over the years.

Credits:

Behr Productions – Original Music Score (instagram @behr_productions)

Kyleigh Rowe – Graphics & Animation

Lauren Gripka – Photography

Lee Frommelt – Copy Editor

Michaela Simpson – Stylist

Congratulations Macon Bacon on Opening Night at Luther Williams Field!

Luther Williams Field is a 75 year old historic ballpark located in Macon, GA - approximately an hour outside of Atlanta, GA.  The ballpark has a rich history hosted teams and events including the Atlanta Braves MiLB team, Southeast League Macon Music, as well as serving as the film set for the critically acclaimed motion picture “42” that chronicled the life of Jackie Robinson during his MLB debut.

After several collaborative sessions with City of Macon leadership we were able to determine a path for moving forward with an investment in semi-premium amenities and facility infrastructure with the goal of bringing fans to the facility and encouraging them to come back for more.  The renovation included the following:

• Twelve new concession points of sale, Full service production kitchen, Covered open air food cart zone, Two new restroom facilities, Kid’s fun zone, Six Cabana suites, Covered party deck area (accommodates 200), Open air beer garden (patio tables and umbrellas), Reconditioned seating, Reconstructed outfield wall and Reconditioned team store.

Congratulations Macon Bacon on a successful, sold out opening night! 

Pendulum’s 11 Year Anniversary Celebration

Pendulum kicked off our 11th year with a special celebration at our office on Thursday, May 17, 2018. The party coincided with the IIDA - Kansas City Chapter Design Crawl that included a tour of 3 MADA Award-Winning spaces, one of which was the Pendulum office at 1512 Holmes. Principal Jonathan Cole gave a guided tour to the IIDA group at the beginning of the night. Port Fonda provided delicious hors d’oeuvres and house-made cocktails for our guests and Jon Marzette (jonisthenewblk) played the soundtrack. It was a spectacular evening with friends, clients and local tastemakers to celebrate the beginning of what will be our best year yet. 

CSI AWARDS BANQUET

Pendulum was honored to accept the Excellence in Craftsmanship award for Dunkin' Donuts Park and Community Investment for The Corner Ballpark at Historic Tiger Stadium at the CSI Awards Banquet. 

ATLANTA BRAVES UNTOLD

Jonathan Cole, Pendulum's founding principal, was featured as a voice of influence within the Atlanta Braves organization in the Braves Untold series. Jonathan was the project designer for the clubhouse and premium locations in Trustmark Park, home of the Mississippi Braves and is also lead the design efforts on the ball park portion of the Atlanta Braves Spring Training facility in North Port, Florida opening Spring of 2019.

OFFICE CHARRETTE

Pendulum designers meeting to look at new projects and working to influence design trends.   

CENTURIONS DESIGN TASK FORCE URBAN YOUTH ACADEMY

The Centurions Design Task Force Day featured ten designers from different disciplines in architecture, interiors, landscape, graphic design, experiential design, culinary arts, clothing and furniture design. Jonathan Cole, founding principal of Pendulum, represented the field of architecture and spoke about the realities of being a professional designer, including interesting insights into the baseball marketplace, ballpark design and sports business trends. The event was hosted by the Kansas City Urban Youth Academy.

LUTHER WILLIAMS VIRTUAL REALITY MEDIA DAY

Pendulum presented sponsors and season ticket holders a virtual tour of the renovations under construction at Luther Williams Field in Macon, Georgia. The virtual reality tour featured the semi-premium and premium areas: Cabana Suites, Group Party Deck, VIP Front Row Seats, Beer Garden, Team Store, Picnic Areas and Concessions. Opened 6/2018

TOMAHAWK TALKS WITH THE ATLANTA BRAVES

The Atlanta Braves organized a panel discussion at Clark Atlanta University to discuss the wide range of career opportunities within Major League Baseball and different perspectives on how to be successful in the sports industry. They invited Jonathan Cole to join the panel along with Adrian Williams (Director of Diversity and Community Marketing, Atlanta Braves), Ron Knight (Minor League Administration Manager, Atlanta Braves), Rolanda Gaines (Director of Marketing and Communications, FOX Sports South), Kay Scott (Director of Marketing, CSE) and Brian  Shufford (VP of Sponsorship, SunTrust Bank). Over 150 students and young professionals from around Atlanta were in attendance.