Articles by Thomas Koloski

The Laurel Rittenhouse from Washington Square West. Photo by Thomas Koloski

YIMBY Tours the 41st Floor at The Laurel Rittenhouse at 1911 Walnut Street in Rittenhouse Square, Center City

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

Recently, Philadelphia YIMBY went on a tour of one of the highest condominium floors at The Laurel Rittenhouse, a 48-story residential tower under construction at 1911 Walnut Street in Rittenhouse Square, Center City. Designed by Solomon Cornwell Buenz and developed by Southern Land Company, the skyscraper is nearing its final height of 599 feet, and work is expected to begin soon on the cross-braced crown. The tower will house 185 rental units in the lower portion and 64 condos in the upper section.

First scheme of the PSFS Building. Image via George Howe

Looking Back at Early Iterations of the PSFS Building

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

Earlier this year, Philadelphia YIMBY ran two features (one introductory and another covering construction) on the iconic PSFS Building at 1200 Market Street in Market East, Center City. The sizable high-rise, developed for the Philadelphia Savings Fund Society, was a modern marvel at the time it was built, and to this day it still makes an impression with its height and history. The 36-story building stands 491 feet tall, with the antenna bringing the total height to 792 feet. The tower was designed by George Howe and William Edmond Lescaze, who made a few iterations of the design before arriving at a version that became one of the first major International-style skyscrapers.

The Laurel Rittenhouse. Credit: Southern Land Company

Residential Floors Topped Out at The Laurel Rittenhouse at 1911 Walnut Street in Rittenhouse Square, Center City

8:00 am on July 26, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

The residential floors of The Laurel Rittenhouse at 1911 Walnut Street, in the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood of Center City, have been topped out. The skyscraper now rises 48 stories into the sky, nearing its final height of 599 feet. The tower was developed by Southern Land Company and designed by Solomon Cornwell Buenz, which has also designed the 27-story tower planned at 1620 Sansom Street. The building will offer 185 rental apartments as well as 64 condominiums at the upper floors. The condo section will offer a private entrance, lobby, and elevators, as well as parking included with every condo unit. The building will feature an amenity space on the 26th floor, as well as an Equinox gym within the lower floors.

CHOP Hub for Clinical Collaboration rendering via Perkins + Will

CHOP Hub for Clinical Collaboration Steel Topped Out in University City, West Philadelphia

7:30 am on July 26, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

The massive structural frame of the CHOP Hub for Clinical Collaboration at 3501 Civic Center Boulevard in University City, West Philadelphia, has been topped out. Designed by Perkins+Will, the tower stands 377 feet and 19 stories tall. The building is a part of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s plan to expand its space on the west side of the city at the cost of $4 billion. The building’s facade, which faces its wide profile toward the Schuylkill River, will feature stone cladding shifting along the exterior.

Terrace on 18th Street. Image by Gabe Lui Architectural Renderings

Street Level Work Nearly Complete at the Terrace on 18th Street in Logan Square, Center City

8:00 am on July 25, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Renovation work at the Terrace on 18th Street at 1776 Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Logan Square, Center City, is nearing completion, as the retail space in the eastern portion of the building looks nearly finished. Designed by Oskar Stonorov of Korman Co., the original structure was built in 1963 as an apartment building known as The Plaza. The tower, which stands 267 feet and 27 stories tall, was converted into the Embassy Suites by Hilton Philadelphia Center City in the 1980s. The structure has been under the ownership of Pearl Properties since last year.

One Cathedral Square. Credit: Solomon Cordwell Buenz

Cathedral Square Phase One Takes Shape at 222 North 17th Street in Logan Square, Center City

8:00 am on July 24, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

The first phase of the Cathedral Square development is underway and rising at 222 North 17th Street in Logan Square, Center City. The building, at this time known as Cathedral Square Phase 1, will rise 245 feet and 23 stories tall. The tower is designed by Solomon Cornwell Buenz, which had also designed the Murano condominium and The Laurel Rittenhouse, which is currently under construction. The two-tower complex is being developed by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and Exeter Property Group, which will span much of the city block that is situated three blocks to the north of the Comcast Center.

Crane Removed From Arthaus At 311 South Broad Street In Washington Square West, Center City

8:00 am on July 23, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

The large crane that was attached to the south side of Arthaus at 311 South Broad Street in Center City has been removed from the structure. Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox and developed by Dranoff Properties, the 47-story tower stands 542 feet high and will have 108 condominium units, with leasing already underway. The tower has grown into the skyline over the past year and is looking close to completion.

Philadelphia skyline 1905 and 1987 south elevation. Photo by Thomas Koloski

City Hall versus One Liberty Place: Philadelphia YIMBY Compares Massing Renderings of the 1905 and the 1987 Skyline

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

The 20th Century was a key period for development in Philadelphia, with numerous remarkable structures built in the 100-year time period. At the very start of the century, City Hall was finishing construction in the heart of the city, with the William Penn Statue was topped on the structure six years beforehand. The 548-foot masonry structure was completed in 1901. Flashing forward to 1987, an even more massive monolith was finishing construction: One Liberty Place in Center City, which stands 945 feet tall. Philadelphia YIMBY compares the time periods when the two giants dominated the skyline fresh upon completion.

2100 Hamilton Street rendering from Cecil Baker and Partners

Facade Complete at 2100 Hamilton Street in Franklintown

8:00 am on July 20, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Facade work has been completed at the 11-story development at 2100 Hamilton Street in Franklintown (also known as Baldwin Park). Designed by Cecil Baker + Partners and developed by the Bock Development Group, the building stands 115 feet tall and will have 27 condominium units. Situated within a short walk from the Philadelphia Museum of Art and just to the north of the Center City skyscrapers, the project brings a modern look to an area that does not see much new development.

Philadelphia-Red Bank Bridge. Image via Courier Post

Looking Back at the Unbuilt Red Bank Bridge Proposal in South Philadelphia

7:30 am on July 19, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

In the 1920s, Philadelphia was on the rise, with industry and was with business activity bustling across the city. The port was generally busy, the skyline was growing, and as automobiles surged in numbers, the city was in need of bridges spanning the Delaware River and connecting to New Jersey on the other side. The proposed Philadelphia-Red Bank Bridge was brought to public attention by Mayor J. Hampton Moore, who suggested that the city is in dire need of a new bridge at its south end. The bridge would have been situated very close to the present location of the Walt Whitman Bridge, though slightly further west and running from the north to the south rather than from the west to the east.

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Articles by Thomas Koloski

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