While the Philadelphia skyline is growing upward, it is also extending further outward with new proposals. Cathedral Square, a development consisting of two skyscrapers, is on its way up in the Logan Square neighborhood in Center City, with the first tower already under construction at 1701 Race Street. Just to the north, Two Cathedral Square will soon stand 470 feet and 34 stories tall at 227 North 18th Street. The tower was designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz and developed by Exter Property Group and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
Two Cathedral Square in the Philadelphia skyline looking south. Original image from Google Earth, model by Thomas Koloski
The tower will stand at the northern edge of the skyline and will thus be seen mostly from south-facing views. In addition, the tower will appear dominant since the structure is separate from the tallest towers in the skyline. Its height will also make the structure prominent in the neighborhood where it will rise, with the closest dominant skyscraper being Three Logan Square standing at a height of 739 feet. Aside from the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul and the Free Library of Philadelphia, the building is surrounded by many not-quite-appealing buildings, so both of the new towers will revivify the neighborhood with its modern architecture.
Two Cathedral Square in the Philadelphia skyline looking southwest. Original image from Google Earth, model by Thomas Koloski
The new skyscraper will be seen best from the iconic view from the Philadelphia Museum of Art, as the building will absolutely dominate on the north side of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. From this vantage point, the tower will be seen just to the left the PSFS Building. The building will also be seen prominently from the Poplar neighborhood, as the building will appear in front of the Commerce Square twins. The building will even soon be seen from the Camden waterfront as the building will be located just next to the Franklin Tower.
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Cathedral Square is a significant two-phase mixed-use office, residential, and retail project. Perhaps the best part is the elimination and redevelopment of four interconnected surface parking lots on the superblock bounded by 18th, 17th, Vine and Race Streets (17th and Race at southeast corner of block, mid-block on 17th on east side of block, 17th and Vine at northeast corner of block, and mid-block on 18th on west side of block). People (residents, shoppers, office workers, and strollers [both types]) replace automobiles and exhaust. Trees, shrubs and flowers replace asphalt. The area becomes part of a vibrant city, not an isolated island.