Articles by Thomas Koloski

Rendering of 204 South 12th Street. Credit: BLT Architects

Excavation Imminent at 204 South 12th Street in Washington Square West, Center City

8:00 am on September 4, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Excavation work appears imminent for the residential building at 204 South 12th Street in Washington Square West, Center City. Designed by Bower Lewis Thower Architects and Roger Stirk Harbour + Partners, the development will feature 448 rental units and three stories of retail. The 445-foot-tall, 32-story tower will make a dramatic impact on the Philadelphia skyline when viewed from numerous angles, while white and orange highlights will give the building a unique look. The building was developed by Midwood Investments and Development, which will feature three stories of retail and 448 rental units.

Rendering of 3025 John F. Kennedy Boulevard via Brandywine Realty

Foundation Work Underway at 3025 John F. Kennedy Boulevard in University City, West Philadelphia

8:00 am on September 3, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Foundation work is underway for first tower of the 14-acre Schuylkill Yards megadevelopment, located at 3025 John F. Kennedy Boulevard in University City, West Philadelphia. Designed by the Practice for Architecture and Urbanism and developed by Brandywine Realty Trust, the building will rise at a total height of 361 feet and 28 stories. The skyscraper is also known as Schuylkill Yards West for its placement compared to the proposed skyscraper to the east at 3001 John F. Kennedy Boulevard.

One uCity Square. Credit: ZGF Architects

One uCity Square Rises Rapidly in University City, West Philadelphia

8:00 am on September 2, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

The uCity Square development in University City, West Philadelphia, is coming along at a rapid pace. The main tower, One uCity Square at 3401 Market Street, is well underway to join the recently topped-out Drexel building, with structural steel continuing to rise. Designed by ZGF Architects, the 250-foot-tall, 13-story building will feature a blocky, Jenga-like massing with shifting, glass-clad sections. The uCity Square complex, developed by Ventas Inc., will span 14 acres and will feature four more buildings to the west, with some rising taller than One uCity Square.

Rendering of Arthaus. Image by Dranoff Properties

Cladding Reaches Top of Parapet at Arthaus in Washington Square West, Center City

8:00 am on September 1, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

The Arthaus condominium at 311 South Broad Street is starting to resemble its renderings as the skyscraper’s exterior moves toward completion. The 108-unit high-rise stands 542 feet and 47 stories high, towering over the Washington Square West neighborhood in Center City. Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox, the building features bright cladding highlighted by the white metal mullions. The developer, Dranoff Properties, has produced numerous properties around the city, which include the Symphony House across the street.

One Liberty Place Rainbow animated scheme from South Street. Photo by Thomas Koloski

My Liberty Lights Program Is Underway at One Liberty Place

7:30 am on August 30, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Over the course of the past two years, the decorative illumination at the crown of One Liberty Place at 1650 Market Street in Center City has been under renovation, as it is being upgraded with powerful lights that can be animated into various schemes and colors. Designed by Helmut Jahn of Murphy/Jahn and developed by Rouse and Associates (later known as the Liberty Property Trust), the tower was completed in 1987 and stands 945 feet and 61 stories tall. The contractor for the illumination upgrade is The Lighting Practice, which has also decorated the W/Element Hotel. The new lighting system is integrated with the My Liberty Lights program, which allows certain users to change the exterior lights atop the building once per day for a duration of five minutes.

Thomas Jefferson Specialty Care Pavilion rendering. Image via Jefferson Health

Thomas Jefferson Specialty Care Pavilion Rises Above Ground at 1101 Chestnut Street in Market East, Center City

8:00 am on August 28, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Construction of the first few floors of the Thomas Jefferson Specialty Care Pavilion is underway at 1101 Chestnut Street in Center City. The building is a part of a project dubbed East Market Phase 3, which spans several blocks within the Market East neighborhood. Designed by Ennead Architects and Stantec and developed by National Real Estate Development, the tower will stand 372 feet and 23 stories tall and will feature a curvy exterior. The medical office building is part of the massive expansion plans that Jefferson Health is currently implementing in the area.

1620 Sansom Street. Credit: Solomon Cordwell Buenz

Excavation Underway at 1620 Sansom Street in Rittenhouse Square, Center City

8:00 am on August 27, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

After demolition finally wrapped up at 1620 Sansom Street, excavation work is underway for the 340-foot-tall, 28-story high-rise. The tower will stand in the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood of Center City, just two blocks to the south of Liberty Place. The building will feature 306 residential units, as well as commercial space on the ground floor. The earlier iteration’s unit and lesser floor count was bumped up two months ago via a permit filing.

Unfinished Liberty Place design model. Photo from Helmut Jahn

A Look at Early Iterations of Liberty Place When It Was Planned to Rise Under 500 Feet in Height

7:30 am on August 23, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

The Liberty Place complex in Center City is known for being the first building in Philadelphia to dramatically break the unofficial 548-foot height limit that was set by the statue of William Penn on top of City Hall. Upon completion, One and Two Liberty Place were the tallest skyscrapers on the skyline, standing at a height of 945 and 848 feet, respectively. The towers were designed by Helmut Jahn and developed by Rouse and Associates, which eventually became Liberty Property Trust. In this feature, Philadelphia YIMBY takes a look back at a number of early iterations of the complex when the towers were planned to stand around or under 500 feet in height.

The Laurel Rittenhouse architectural model crown. Photo by Thomas Koloski

Looking At the Architectural Model of The Laurel Rittenhouse

7:30 am on August 22, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Architectural models and renderings are a convenient way for the architects and developers to give the public a glimpse at what planned buildings will look like. Residential skyscrapers are particularly notable for displaying detailed architectural models in their showrooms, as a means to show off and advertise the units along with the amenity space. Designed by Solomon Cornwell Buenz and developed by Southern Land Company, The Laurel Rittenhouse is a 599-foot-tall, 48-story residential skyscraper under construction at 1911 Walnut Street in Rittenhouse Square, Center City. In this publication, Philadelphia YIMBY looks at the physical model of The Laurel Rittenhouse, which is located in the building’s sales gallery.

Arthaus architectural model crown. Photo by Thomas Koloski

Looking at the Architectural Model of Arthaus in Center City

7:30 am on August 20, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

In contrast to smaller developments, major skyscraper projects are backed by large teams, which include promotion staff and sales galleries that are open to the public, many with physical models of the building exterior and interiors. Arthaus is a 542-foot-tll condominium under construction at 311 South Broad Street in Center City. Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox and developed by Dranoff Properties, the tower rises 47 stories and will include 108 residential units, with leasing currently underway. In this publication, Philadelphia YIMBY takes a look at a physical model of the skyscraper, which stands at the sales gallery located at the northeast corner of the ground floor of the Symphony House.

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Articles by Thomas Koloski

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