Articles by Thomas Koloski

Philly YIMBY Reveals Massing Models for the Schuylkill Yards Supertall in University City, West Philadelphia

8:00 am on February 16, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Ever since the master plan for Schuylkill Yards in University City was unveiled for the first time, it displayed a supertall skyscraper dominating the 14-acre site, a feature that persisted throughout all future iterations. Renderings show a glass-clad tower rising at 3101 Market Street, accented with bronze highlights that appear similar to those at 9 DeKalb and 111 West 57th Street in New York City, which are also designed by SHoP Architects, the group behind the Schuylkill Yards master plan. Brandywine Realty Trust, the project developer, is also responsible for projects such as the 350-foot-tall tower proposed at 2100 Market Street in Center City. As of the 2016 renderings, the supertall appears to rise around 1,100 feet high.

542-Foot Tall Arthaus Tops Out in Washington Square West, Center City

8:00 am on February 15, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

The concrete structure at the Arthaus condominium at 311 South Broad Street has officially topped out on February 12th, when the last bucket of concrete was lifted to the pinnacle. A celebratory ceremony was held on that day, as work continued on the 542-foot-tall, 47-story tower, located in Washington Square West in south Center City. The skyscraper will house 108 residential units, along with retail situated on the first four floors. The project is developed by Dranoff Properties, which had acquired the site in 2013 with the intent of constructing the SLS International Hotel. Eugene Kohn of Kohn Pedersen Fox has been the lead designer since the earliest stages, when the development was still planned as a hotel.

Site Clearance in Progress at Penn’s Landing Redevelopment in Center City

8:00 am on February 14, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

The massive Penn’s Landing Redevelopment project will dramatically transform the Delaware River waterfront south of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. Developed by The Durst Organization, the complex will create over 3.6 million square feet of floor space, as well as a 11.5-acre public park. The $2.2 billion project will add 1,834 residential units and a significant amount of office space, while expanding the Center City skyline to the east and likely inviting high-rise growth in the gap between the waterfront and the skyline core.

Cira 2 and the Cira Center. Photo by KMCA Architectural Model Makers and Prototyping

Looking Back at the Second Tower Once Planned at Cira Centre in University City, West Philadelphia

8:00 am on February 13, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Shortly after the completion of the first Cira Centre skyscraper in 2005, plans were revealed for a second tower at a nearby site. The 725-foot-tall, 48-story high-rise was shown as part of a model of the greater complex, around the time of the groundbreaking of the FMC Tower nearby to the south. The project was designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architecture and planned for development by Brandywine Realty Trust, a team that is also behind the original Cira Centre as well as the Evo and FMC Tower at Cira Centre South, a group of buildings that has transformed the University City skyline.

Mellon Bank Center. Photo via Elizabeth Day Art & Architectural Illustration

A Look at the Former, Taller Iteration of Mellon Bank Center, Center City

8:00 am on February 12, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

The 824-foot Mellon Bank Center at 1735 Market Street was completed in 1990. Originally, the tower had a similar design yet with a taller shape and several other differences. Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox and developed by CommonWealth REIT, the tower would have stood 880 feet tall and would have featured projecting floor space at the corners up to an estimated height of 400 feet. The crown would have also appeared more skeletal than it looks today. Stone patterns all around the base are different.

113-121 South 19th Street. Credit: Pearl Properties/DAS Architecture

New Permits Filed at 113-121 South 19th Street in Rittenhouse Square, Center City

8:00 am on February 11, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Permits have been issued for the consolidation of the five properties that make up the site of the 567-foot-tall, 49-story skyscraper proposed at 113-121 South 19th Street in Rittenhouse Square, Center City. The façades of most of the prewar buildings at the site will be incorporated into the future tower’s base. The 183-unit building will feature balconies on most floors on the south side of the tower. The tower was designed by DAS Architecture and Planning and developed by Pearl Properties, which built the 272-foot-tall residential building called The Harper nearby at 112 South 19th Street nearly two years ago. The high-rise will stand two blocks north of Rittenhouse Square, featuring a mix of glass, metal and stone at the façade.

American Commerce Center rendering via Kohn Pendersen Fox

The Story of the American Commerce Center, Once Planned as Philadelphia’s Tallest Tower

8:00 am on February 10, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

During the construction of the first Comcast Center tower, many wondered whether the 975-foot-tall skyscraper would rank as the city’s tallest for much longer. Just a few months before the former’s topping out, details were released about the American Commerce Center at 1800 Arch Street, a proposal that stunned many development watchers with its 1,510-foot height. The project was being developed by Hill International Real Estate Partners and designed by Kohn Pendersen Fox, a firm that is also behind the 792-foot-tall Mellon Bank Center, currently the city’s fifth-tallest building, and Arthaus, a 542-foot-tall skyscraper currently under construction. The development was ultimately canceled and the 1,121-foot-tall Comcast Technology Center was built at the site.

Rendering of 3025 John F. Kennedy Boulevard via Brandywine Realty

Groundbreaking Imminent at Schuylkill Yards West at 3025 John F. Kennedy Boulevard in University City, West Philadelphia

8:00 am on February 8, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

The team behind Schuylkill Yards West at 3025 John F. Kennedy has announced that a groundbreaking has been scheduled for March. The 361-foot-tall, 28-story tower will be the first of the skyscrapers planned at the 14-acre Schuylkill Yards megaproject, which is developed by Brandywine Realty Trust. The building was designed by Practice for Architecture and Urbanism, which has also designed the vibrant red 3001 John F. Kennedy Boulevard that will rise to the east. The building will house retail and 326 residential units, which will be serviced by a large amenity terrace. The building will also feature office and lab space on the podium floors.

Arthaus Close to Topping Out at South Broad Street in Center City

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

Topping out appears imminent at Arthaus, a 542-foot-tall, 47-story tower rising at 311 South Broad Street in Center City, a few blocks to the south of City Hall. The project’s height is remarkable for the area and the building already stands high above the surroundings. The tower will have 107 units, with the lower four floors designated for amenity, retail, and parking space. The tower is designed by the renowned architecture firm Kohn Pedersen Fox, which also designed the one of the city’s tallest buildings, the BNY Mellon Center at 1735 Market Street. Developer Dranoff Properties is also behind the 375-foot-tall, 163-unit Symphony House, completed a block south at 1414 Pine Street in 2007.

The Laurel Rittenhouse. Credit: Southern Land Company

The Laurel Rittenhouse Square Rises Halfway Up, with Façade Starting in Rittenhouse Square, Center City

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

The concrete structure of The Laurel Rittenhouse Square at 1911 Walnut Street, a condominium that will soon dominate Rittenhouse Square, has reached the halfway point. Designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz and developed by Southern Land Company, the 599-foot-tall, 48-story tower rises just to the northwest of Rittenhouse Square Park. The building replaces a grassy lot to the south and a parking lot to the north. The structure will house 185 rental apartments and 60 condominium units. A three-story structure with retail space and a gym will rise north of the tower. The tower sets back three times from Walnut Street, with the final shape stepping back on all four sides toward a crown where cross-bracing will light up at night.

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Articles by Thomas Koloski

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