A new pedestrian bridge across Convention Avenue has opened to the public in University City, West Philadelphia, connecting Penn Medicine’s recently completed Pavilion building at 300 South 33rd Street to SEPTA’s Penn Medicine Station (formerly known as the University City Station), one of the system’s busiest. The opening has been confirmed by Philly YIMBY’s recent site visit, which revealed that the crossing is fully operational aside from the elevator, which, according to on-site signage, will be completed in spring.
Pavilion as seen from South Street Bridge. Credit: Thomas Koloski.
Designed by Foster + Partners, the Pavilion rises 343 feet and 17 stories tall and holds a whopping 1.5 million square feet of interior space, a figure that matches that of the Comcast Technology Center, Philadelphia’s tallest building and one of the bulkiest skyscrapers on the city’s skyline. The pedestrian bridge connects to the elevated walkway along the north side of the Pavilion.
Aerial view of the Penn Medicine Pavilion pedestrian bridge site. Credit: Google Maps
The bridge’s aesthetic of bronze paneling, capped with a glass balustrade, effectively matches the design of the Pavilion building itself, with tan stucco further contributing to the composition.
Pedestrian Bridge at Penn Medicine Pavilion. 300 South 33rd Street. Photo by Jamie Meller. February 2022
Pedestrian Bridge at Penn Medicine Pavilion. 300 South 33rd Street. Photo by Jamie Meller. February 2022
The Penn Medicine website states that the 670-foot-long walkway holds over 60 tree species (or will hold, as our site visit revealed a rather barren landscape – or perhaps the site’s newness and frigid February weather create an underwhelming impression). The website describes the walkway as one that will “provide a calming, healing respite from the hustle and bustle of the surrounding area.” Indeed, the walkway caps Health Sciences Drive, a pedestrian-unfriendly service alley.
Pavilion walk. Rendering credit: Penn Medicine
Pedestrian Bridge at Penn Medicine Pavilion. 300 South 33rd Street. Photo by Jamie Meller. February 2022
Pedestrian Bridge at Penn Medicine Pavilion. 300 South 33rd Street. Photo by Jamie Meller. February 2022
The pedestrian bridge will provide a direct and pleasant access to both medical facilities and the adjacent Penn Museum, while transforming the alley into a lower-level “street” of a type that uniquely proliferate throughout the neighborhood, in a manner reminiscent of Chicago’s multi-level thoroughfares.
Pedestrian Bridge at Penn Medicine Pavilion. 300 South 33rd Street. Photo by Jamie Meller. February 2022
On the train station side, the pedestrian bridge landing replaces a grand “staircase to nowhere” that once led from the barrel-roof-vaulted station entrance to the sidewalk, where it unceremoniously faced the service alley with no pedestrian crossing to the other side. Since both the train station entrance and the Penn Station walkway are elevated well above the street level, the pedestrian bridge, which soars around 20 feet above traffic, provides a seamless connection from the busy transit hub to the city’s primary medical district.
Pedestrian Bridge at Penn Medicine Pavilion. 300 South 33rd Street. Photo by Jamie Meller. February 2022
Pedestrian Bridge at Penn Medicine Pavilion. 300 South 33rd Street. Photo by Jamie Meller. February 2022
The bridge has made significant progress since October, when YIMBY last visited the site. Our visit found the crossing’s massive steel beams spanned across the avenue, with workers busy with the structure’s assembly and directing traffic on the avenue below. Check out our October coverage for further info.
Current view of The Pavilion’s pedestrian bridge. Credit: Colin LeStourgeon.
Current view of The Pavilion’s pedestrian bridge. Credit: Colin LeStourgeon.
Transit-accessible, grade-separated pedestrian connections are especially important in the University City Medical District, which, in great part, caters specifically to persons with mobility issues. As such, we hope to see more similar connections constructed throughout the district in the future.
Pedestrian Bridge at Penn Medicine Pavilion. 300 South 33rd Street. Photo by Jamie Meller. February 2022
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I wonder how good the view of the skyline is from the bridge