Center City

The new Philadelphia skyline. Photo by Thomas Koloski

Philly YIMBY Launches Its First Anniversary Countdown by Looking at Rittenhouse Square and Brewerytown

8:00 am on August 19, 2021 By Vitali Ogorodnikov

A year ago, the start of August marked the launch of Philadelphia YIMBY. We were excited to extend New York YIMBY’s years-long legacy of covering architecture, construction, and development to the City of Brotherly Love. Since that time, our staff has shared over 1,000 articles, covering a wide variety of topics that were cataloged into more than 1,800 categories. In celebration of Philly YIMBY’s first anniversary, we look at our most frequently tagged categories in a month-long series of articles that will run as a countdown that starts with the 31th most-popular category and will run until it hits number one. Today we begin our countdown by looking at Rittenhouse Square and Brewerytown, the two categories tied for the 31st place.

Center City from South Philadelphia 2020 and 2021. Photos by Thomas Koloski

Comparing the 2020 And 2021 Skyline as Seen from South Philadelphia

7:00 am on August 19, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Over the past year, Philadelphia YIMBY has showcased the skyline on a constant basis, which has seen nearly a decade of constant construction. A number of projects have spawned all around the city, producing massive growth. Center City of course receives the most developments, as it is the busiest neighborhood. Other nearby neighborhoods are also joining in on the growth, such as University City. In this feature, Philadelphia YIMBY compares sections of the Philadelphia skyline via photographs taken this and last year.

The William Penn statue atop City Hall. Credit: James Mitchell via Wikipedia

Looking Back at the Former Proposal to Make the Statue of William Penn Atop City Hall Revolve

7:30 am on August 17, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

The 37-foot-tall statue of William Penn atop the City Hall clock tower brings the structure to a full height of 548 feet. As YIMBY discussed in yesterday’s story, the intended south-facing direction of the statue, crafted by sculptor Alexander Milne Calder, was changed at the last minute, and for nearly 127 years the figure has faced northeast. In this feature, Philadelphia YIMBY looks back at the onetime proposal to have the statue revolve around its axis so it could gaze upon the entire city.

The William Penn statue atop City Hall. Photo by Thomas Koloski

Looking Back at the Originally Intended Placement of the Statue of William Penn atop City Hall

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

The statue of William Penn has stood at the very top of Philadelphia City Hall in Center City for well over a hundred years, facing northeast. The large figure of the Quaker was crafted by sculptor Alexander Milne Calder, who also produced the smaller statues just above the clock house and around the entire building. The 548-foot-tall Philadelphia City Hall was designed by John McArthur Jr. and Thomas Ustick Walter, renown architects of their time. In this feature, Philadelphia YIMBY takes a look back at the original southern direction the statue was supposed to face and at the subsequent change.

PSFS Building unfinished design. Image via philadelphiabuildings.org

YIMBY Presents Massing Renderings Of The Unfinished PSFS Building Design

7:30 am on August 14, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Over the past few months, YIMBY has shared multiple publications on the PSFS Building covering its history and the process of the skyscraper’s design stage. The building is located at 1200 Market Street in Market East, Center City. Depending on the design, the structure may have ended up looking very differently if one of the past iterations went through. The building was designed by George Howe and William Edmond Lescaze, who originally weren’t partnered when George Howe created the first design. In this feature, Philadelphia YIMBY presents massing renderings of the PSFS Building when the design was nearly finalized, yet still unfinished.

Center City towers from North Broad Street. Photo by Thomas Koloski

One Liberty Place Lighting Nearly Complete with Upcoming Event in Center City

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

Over the course of the past few months, an upgrade of the decorative lighting system has been in progress at One Liberty Place at 1650 Market Street in Center City, where the light strips that highlight the angled top of the tower are being reworked. Designed by Helmut Jahn of Murphy/Jahn and developed by Rouse and Associates, the two massive skyscrapers of Liberty Place were the first in the Philadelphia skyline to boldly break past the informal 548-foot height limit established by the tower of City Hall nearly a century earlier.

Comcast Technology Center 2014 and current design from Spring Garden Street Bridge. Left: image by Foster and Partners. Right: Photo by Thomas Koloski

Comparing The 2014 and Final Design of The Comcast Technology Center

7:30 am on August 10, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Soon after the completion of the 973-foot-tall Comcast Center in 2008, which stood as the tallest building in Philadelphia, local residents and outside watchers wondered what was next for the city skyline. Almost six years later, on January 15, 2014, the design for the Comcast Technology Center, then known as the Comcast Innovation and Technology Center, was revealed to the public. The tower would become the new tallest skyscraper in Philadelphia, planned to stand 1,121 feet tall at 1800 Arch Street in Center City, across the street from the previous record-holder. The design by Foster and Partners was an unfinished version of the current building, as many portions of the building had to be finalized. The developer of the Comcast Technology Center is Liberty Property Trust, which met its fate when it was purchased by Prologis Inc. In this YIMBY feature, we compare the 2014 design and the current version of the skyscraper using renderings, architectural models, and photographs.

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.

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