Articles by Thomas Koloski

One uCity Square. Photo by Thomas Koloski

Facade Nearly Complete at One uCity Square in University City, West Philadelphia

8:00 am on June 28, 2022 By Thomas Koloski

The University City neighborhood in West Philadelphia is growing every year with new projects rising into the skyline. Designed by ZGF Architects and developed by Ventas Inc., the signature tower of One uCity Square at the 14-acre uCity Square development is well underway, as it approaches the final phases of construction. The building, located at 225 North 38th Street, rises to a height of 250 feet and 13 stories. The building makes for a refreshing design for the area, with the glass and metal exterior highlighting the jagged notches on the southeast corner.

Riverwalk towers. Image via PMC Property Group

Facade Wraps Construction On Riverwalk South in Center City West

8:00 am on June 26, 2022 By Thomas Koloski

The Center City West neighborhood has taken on a new look over the past few years, as the first of the newest crop of developments are in the final stages of construction. A pair of towers dubbed Riverwalk stands at 60 North 23rd Street, near the Schuylkill River. Designed by Gensler and developed by PMC Property Group, the angled south tower rises 363 feet and 32 stories, and the north tower rises 315 feet and 28 stories. In total, the slab-like towers will soon boast 711 total units.

Liberty Place complex model. Image via Frank Whittock and Associates Inc

YIMBY Shares Detailed Models of the 1987 Liberty Place Iteration in Center City

8:00 am on June 19, 2022 By Thomas Koloski

The Philadelphia skyline consists of a number of towers that shape the city’s image, with the Liberty Place in Center City towers among its key features. One Liberty Place and Two Liberty Place, addressed at 1650 Market Street and 50 South 16th Street, are located two blocks away from City Hall. The complex, which also includes a shopping center and a hotel, was designed by Helmut Jahn of Murphy/Jahn (recently renamed to Jahn/) and developed by Willard G. Rouse III of Rouse and Associates, which had eventually evolved into Liberty Property Trust and developed both of the Comcast towers. In this feature, Philadelphia YIMBY presents detailed skyline massings of the 1987 Liberty Place iteration.

Broad and Lombard. Image via SITIO Architects + Urbanism

New Renderings Revealed for Broad and Lombard in Rittenhouse Square, Center City

8:00 am on June 17, 2022 By Thomas Koloski

The Virgin Hotels proposal at 500 South Broad Street in Rittenhouse Square, Center City, has been revamped with a new design. Designed by SITIO Architects + Urbanism and developed by The Badger Group and Goldenberg Group LLC, the 468-unit development now known as Broad and Lombard will now boast a tower that will stand 542 feet (alternately pictured at 573 feet) and 43 stories tall. The project involves a renovation of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health Building, with work helmed by Voith and MacTavish Architects. The new tower will echo the design of the Public Health Building and will stand tall in the Philadelphia skyline.

One Meridian Plaza on fire. Image from The Arizona Republic

YIMBY Revisits the Deconstruction of One Meridian Plaza in Center City

8:00 am on June 7, 2022 By Thomas Koloski

During the 1960s and 1970s, multiple developments with massive amounts of office space, occupied by banking firms in particular, were constructed in Center City Philadelphia. Most of these developments featured a light brown Brutalist exterior with contrasting dark glass. Among the first such structures built was One Meridian Plaza, located at 1416 South Penn Square, which stood 492 feet and 38 stories. Designed by Vincent Kling & Associates (later known as KlingStubbins, now part of JACOBS) and developed by the Girard Bank and Fidelity Mutual Life Insurance, the tower started construction in 1968 and was completed in 1972, and featured the light brown stone cladding commonly seen during the period, along with rows of dark glass leading up to the bay windows at the top. The skyscraper eventually met its tragic demise in 1991, and was deconstructed in the following years in a process that YIMBY revisits in today’s feature.

Center City West. Looking north. Credit: Google Maps

YIMBY Observes the Rise of Center City West

8:00 am on June 3, 2022 By Thomas Koloski

Center City West is a section of Center City located roughly between 21st, Chestnut, and Arch streets and the Schuylkill River. For decades, the neighborhood was comprised primarily of parking lots, yet in recent years the area has been on the rise with a large number of projects that have recently been completed, underway, and proposed. The largest developments that have originally been completed in the neighborhood are the PECO Building, completed in 1970, and the Aramark Headquarters which renovated the structure of an existing building at 2400 Market Street in 2019. With Aramark relocating its headquarters to the neighborhood, the company saw the potential of the area’s growth. 2222 Market Street, the first development of the new construction wave was revealed in 2019, and is currently underway.

Model of Liberty Place. Photo by The Philadelphia Inquirer

YIMBY Shares Detailed Models Of The 1985 Liberty Place Iteration In Center City

8:00 am on June 2, 2022 By Thomas Koloski

The Liberty Place complex, which consists of One Liberty Place and Two Liberty Place are located at 1650 Market Street and 50 South 16th Street in Center City, has anchored the Philadelphia skyline ever since it was completed in 1990. However, at one point, the final form of the buildings was meant to look very different. The groundbreaking project was designed by Helmut Jahn of Murphy/Jahn (now known as Jahn/), who had hand-drawn a massive quantity of possibilities for the city block. The project was developed by Rouse and Associates, as Willard G. Rouse, who was adamant about raising the skyline above Philadelphia City Hall as he believed that William Penn himself would appreciate the city’s progress. In this feature, Philadelphia YIMBY shares our latest skyline massings of a heavily detailed model of the 1985 iteration of Liberty Place.

Philadelphia 1987 One Liberty Place south elevation. Models and image by Thomas Koloski

YIMBY Shares a Detailed Model of One Liberty Place in Center City

8:00 am on May 31, 2022 By Thomas Koloski

As the 35th anniversary for the topping-out of One Liberty Place‘s spire was commemorated, Philadelphia YIMBY has assembled a high-quality model of the skyscraper. Located at 1650 Market Street in Center City, the tower is a milestone in the skyline and Philadelphia history as it broke free of the height limit once set by City Hall and improved the city’s image. While heavily criticized by some at the time of proposal, the office tower was eventually given the green light to stand 61 stories high and 945 feet tall. The tower and the second phase of the project was designed by Helmut Jahn of Murphy/Jahn and developed by Willard G. Rouse III of Rouse and Associates. In this feature, Philadelphia YIMBY observes an accurately detailed model of One Liberty Place on the 1987 skyline massing.

Rendering of One Dock Street. Credit: BLT Architects.

One Dock Street Popping Into View From Society Hill, Center City

8:00 am on May 30, 2022 By Thomas Koloski

Despite opposition from preservationists, the long-awaited tower at One Dock Street is underway in Society Hill, Center City. The apartment building will stand 372 feet tall and 31 stories. Designed by Philadelphia-based BLT Architects and developed by LCOR Incorporated, the slim yet sizeable tower will feature 272 rental apartments and will connect to the Marriott Hotel adjacent to the site. The high-rise will join architect I. M. Pei’s three Society Hill Towers that have dominated the area since 1964.

Virgin Hotels looking southwest. Image via The Badger Group

Philadelphia YIMBY Shares Skyline Massings of Two-Tower Virgin Hotel Proposed in Rittenhouse Square, Center City

8:00 am on May 26, 2022 By Thomas Koloski

For years, Philadelphia YIMBY has published in-house-made skyline massings, of old developments and new proposals alike, and today we bring another project to our readers. Recently, images of a new Virgin Hotels development proposal have surfaced, showing two new buildings at 500 South Broad Street in Rittenhouse Square Center City. Shown in renderings are a taller tower standing 36 floors and a shorter tower rising 23 stories. The project is being designed by Skidmore Owings and Merrill and developed by The Badger Group, Dranoff Properties, The Goldenberg Group LLC, and Virgin Hotels, which will have their logo displayed on the north tower. In this feature, Philadelphia YIMBY presents our skyline massings of the Virgin Hotel towers.

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Articles by Thomas Koloski

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