The 9th place on Philadelphia YIMBY’s December 2021 Development Countdown goes to the 377-foot-tall, 19-story CHOP Hub for Clinical Collaboration at 3501 Civic Center Boulevard in University City, West Philadelphia. Designed by Perkins+Will, the building is a part of a $3.4-billion expansion for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and will connect to the existing hospital complex.
The building rises within the densely built-out medical district in the southern section of University City, on the right bank of the Schuylkill River. The structure began rising out of the ground around the summer of last year. The concrete core had risen several stories by fall, and eclipsed its halfway point almost exactly a year ago, with structural steel rapidly catching up. The core topped out in spring of this year, and cladding followed shortly thereafter. The steel frame topped out by summer. Our recent site visit revealed that the building structure is mostly complete. The curtain wall of staggered glass has nearly reached the building’s flat-topped pinnacle.
The rendering promised an attractive yet somewhat generic building, not very distinguishable from the phalanx of glass boxes lining the medical district. And though the final product matches the rendering, the result is pleasantly surprising. The windows are set within a shallow, staggered grid that adds a rippling texture to the exterior, especially when viewed at an oblique angle, and subtly changes appearance depending on point of view. More subtle than the dramatic, recently completed bronze tower of The Pavilion a few blocks to the north, the tower at 3501 Civic Center Boulevard is shaping up to be an exquisite addition to the University City skyline.
CHOP Hub for Clinical Collaboration rendering via Perkins + Will
3501 Civic Center Boulevard. Photo by Jamie Meller. December 2021.
3501 Civic Center Boulevard. Photo by Jamie Meller. December 2021.
3501 Civic Center Boulevard. Photo by Jamie Meller. December 2021.
We expect the development to be completed some time next year.
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Thought completion date was May 2023 due to the complex installation of sophisticated medical equipment.
Handsome building and we got a picture of how I-76 bridge next to the Schuylkill River is done.