In 1984, plans were approved for the first office tower to rise above the unwritten Gentleman’s Agreement height above the statue of William Penn. One Liberty Place broke ground in 1985 and was under construction until the end of 1987, starting a new construction boom for the city that revitalized the city’s skyline. One Commerce Square had topped out the summer before One Liberty Place rose, but, shortly after the completion of One Liberty Place, the structure of the Independence Blue Cross Tower joined the skyline. By the end of 1988, the Bell Atlantic Tower was also rising, eventually bulking up the skyline by 1989.
Philadelphia skyline May 1989 massing looking northwest. Photo by Thomas Koloski
Philadelphia skyline May 1989 massing looking west. Photo by Thomas Koloski
By this time, Mellon Bank Center and Two Liberty Place were already underway, as cranes for Mellon Bank Center were placed down on the site in 1988 and Two Liberty Place broke ground February 1988. The concrete core of Two Liberty Place was rising into the skyline by spring, and Mellon Bank Center followed shortly after in June. The core of Two Liberty Place became thinner as the structure grew and topped out in August, allowing the steel to push back to its planned form. The roof of Mellon Bank Center was constructed in September, and the base for the pyramid crown was underway.
Philadelphia skyline August 1989 massing looking north. Photo by Thomas Koloski
Philadelphia skyline August 1989 massing looking northeast. Photo by Thomas Koloski
Our two massings date to two different months in 1989, with the first model set in May 1989 and the second one set in August 1989. On the first model, the cranes of Two Liberty stick out prominently while the core crane rises nearly as high as Centre Square. Mellon Bank Center had its main office floors underway shortly after the base was finished. In the August model, the structure of Two Liberty Place is clearly seen as the thin core stands high against One Liberty Place, as Mellon Bank Center appeared as a tall boxy shape in the skyline.
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