Articles by Thomas Koloski

W/Element Hotel from City Hall. Photo by Thomas Koloski

W/Element Hotel Lighting Sparkles as Construction Nears Completion at 1439 Chestnut Street in Center City

8:00 am on August 9, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Construction is nearly complete at the W/Element Hotel, a 617-foot-tall, 52-story skyscraper that stands at 1439 Chestnut Street (alternately 1441 Chestnut Street) in Center City. Designed by Cope-Linder Architects and developed by Chestlen Development, the dual-branded tower holds a total of 755 hotel rooms. Tutor Perini is the general contractor, and The Lighting Practice is responsible for the vertical strips of that light up at night.

Philadelphia skyline 2017 from New Jersey. Photo by Thomas Koloski

Looking Back At Developments Under Construction In 2017

7:30 am on August 8, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Philadelphia has had certain key years when skyscraper construction saw a notable surge, when many developments were underway at the same time. For instance, much of the current Center City skyline took form in and just after 1987. Another key year for construction took place in 2017, when various high-rise projects spanned multiple neighborhoods. Most of these developments stood under 500 feet, with some barely noticeable from afar, yet others added significant bulk to the skyline. The tallest skyscraper under construction was the Comcast Technology Center, the city’s first supertall tower and still the city’s tallest building. In this publication Philadelphia YIMBY looks back to when this collection of developments was underway four years ago.

Park Tower. Image via Skidmore Owings and Merrill

A Look Back At The Unbuilt Park Tower In Center City

8:00 am on August 6, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

During its boom years in the 1980s and the 1990s, the Philadelphia skyline saw multiple tower proposals, many of which ended up not being built. Among these was Park Tower, located at 1501 Arch Street in Center City. Designed by Skidmore Owings and Merrill, the two-towered development would include a 32-story, 480-foot-tall building on Cherry Street and the shorter high-rise standing 230 feet and 18 stories tall. The buildings would feature facades clad in red brick and white stone cladding. Today Philadelphia YIMBY looks back at the development and how it would fit into the skyline.

Fourth scheme of the PSFS Building. Image via George Howe and William Edmond Lescaze

YIMBY Presents Massing Renderings of the Fourth Design for the PSFS Building

7:30 am on August 5, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

In the past month, YIMBY has posted multiple publications on the PSFS Building and its history. The building stands at 1200 Market Street in Market East, Center City, with a height of 491 feet that dominates the local skyline even now, and did even more so when it was recently built. The tower was designed by George Howe and William Lescaze, who drew up several designs of the building prior to construction. In this feature, Philadelphia YIMBY shares the fourth iteration of the PSFS Building, which also had a physical model built.

Philadelphia City Hall 1910. Photo via shorpy.com

Looking at the Construction of Philadelphia City Hall’s Clock Tower

7:30 am on August 4, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

At the time of construction, Philadelphia City Hall at 1400 John F. Kennedy Boulevard in Center City was a building that was both ahead of its time and inspired by traditional design. The municipal floors and the clock tower feature stone walls, cornices, pillars, and decorative additions that brought the public to awe. The 548-foot structure was designed by John McArthur Jr. and Thomas Ustick Walter, who have both worked on other well-known buildings. John McArthur Jr. designed the First National Bank, and Thomas Ustick Walter designed the new and current dome of the Capital Building in Washington D.C. While the highest space in the building sits nine floors above ground, the clock tower stands hundreds of feet tall and was constructed just after the municipal floors. Today Philadelphia YIMBY looks at the construction of the clock tower, which ranks as the world’s tallest freestanding masonry building.

Second scheme of the PSFS Building. Image via George Howe and William Edmond Lescaze

YIMBY Presents Massing Renderings of the Second Design for the PSFS Building

7:30 am on August 3, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

In recent weeks, Philadelphia YIMBY has shared a series of publications on the historic PSFS Building at 1200 Market Street in Market East, Center City. Yesterday we looked in detail at the first iteration of the building designed by architects George Howe and William Lescaze, who partnered in 1929. In this feature, we present massing renderings of the second design. The roof height of the current building stands 491 feet above the ground, which is likely as high as the iterations analyzed here would have also risen.

First scheme of the PSFS Building. Image via George Howe

YIMBY Presents Massing Renderings of the First PSFS Building Design

7:30 am on August 2, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

In the 1920s, banks were looking for space in cities around the country as the economy boomed. In Philadelphia, multiple high-rises were under construction and in proposal stages as Center City was rapidly transforming. One of these financial institutions, the Philadelphia Savings Fund Society, was scouting the city for space for a new office building and eventually selected the site at 1200 Market Street, where the William Penn Charter School once stood. Architects George Howe and William Lescaze designed the PSFS Building, which stood as one of the most massive buildings in the skyline for decades. In this feature, Philadelphia YIMBY presents massing renderings of an early iteration of the that was drawn up in 1928.

YIMBY Presents Massing Animations of The Philadelphia Skyline Growth from 1985 to 1990

8:00 am on July 30, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

In recent months, YIMBY shared multiple publications covering the historical status of the Philadelphia skyline. Though our massing renderings have gone all the way back to when City Hall stood alone in the skyline, the modern skyline largely came into being around 30 years ago, when developers finally dared to pass its 548-foot-high William Penn Statue. Philadelphia YIMBY presents our custom animation of the Philadelphia skyline rising between the years 1985 and 1990, when Center City received some of its most iconic skyscrapers.

Looking Back at the First Philadelphia YIMBY Photo Reports

7:30 am on July 29, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Since August 3, 2020, Philadelphia YIMBY has been publishing content covering development in Philadelphia and the greater region, expanding from the original New York YIMBY site to track content in Chicago, Florida, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Today we look back to a year ago when our first photo report was posted on the site.

LOVE Park Welcome Center. Photo by Thomas Koloski

Renovation Underway at LOVE Park Welcome Center in Center City

7:00 am on July 29, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Renovation work is in progress at the LOVE Park Welcome Center in LOVE Park in Center City. The two-story building stands across the street to the east of Suburban Station. The renovated structure will house a restaurant, with new lighting, exterior glass, interior and roof finishes, security, and mechanical systems. The restaurant will fit 50 to 55 patrons inside, while the balcony and terrace will seat 135 people. The architect of the project is Kieran Timberlake, who had also submitted a proposal for Penn’s Landing a number of years ago.

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Articles by Thomas Koloski

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