Philadelphia YIMBY takes a look at a wildly slender high-rise for its time, the Medical Tower built in 1931 at 255 South 17th Street in Rittenhouse Square, Center City. The tower stands just over a block away from Rittenhouse Square Park and several blocks to the south of the Liberty Place complex. Designed by McIlvain and Roberts, a firm that had also designed the American Patriots Building and 3557 Walnut Street, the building rises 364 feet and 33 stories tall. The tower is clad in brick and limestone and makes a distinctive presence on the skyline, oarticularly when viewed from the south.
Medical Tower under construction. Photo via City of Philadelphia, Department of Records
The structure started construction in 1930, quite a distance from the high-rises that were just built or being built during that building boom, such as The Drake and One South Broad. The building has a steel structure, and it did not take long for the building to top out as the floor plates of the building are an estimated length and width of just 50 x 45 feet. The tower opened next year, offering great views of Center City as one of the tallest towers in the city at the time.
Medical Tower (right) from One Liberty Place. Photo by Thomas Koloski
To this day, the building can still stand out on the skyline from certain views. During the day, it can be very easy to spot the tower due to its red brick cladding. Despite the 364-foot height being small compared to the gigantic modern structures that dominate the skyline, the building maintains its own character as at the time it was built, slim towers such as this were rare. Now, however, a taller slender tower is proposed to rise nearby at 113-121 South 19th Street.
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Who owns and who uses the Medical Tower? Never paid attention to that building!
Just did a little research to sate my curiosity, If you look into en. photo . com, you will find a very handsome picture of the building showing its art deco style in brickwork and windows .
Apparently ,the building was constructed with 33 Flores to meet a need to congregate all the doctors and medical professionals in one place where they can afford their clients all the discreet privacy they could ever want . After all, who wants to rub shoulders with all kinds of people from the community, There is a mention about Temple Doctors locating there and the rest of tenants not mentioned at all. If you could scatter all the medical tensnts to the four corners , this building would be a very attractive choice for apartments , condos and hotels,
I had the luxury of getting my teeth drilled by my dentist, of course, in his office on one of the upper floors. What a view while being sedated with funny gas!
Does the Medical Tower Building have a wheelchair Access entry?”