Foster and Partners

A Look at the Lobby of the Comcast Technology Center, Philadelphia’s Tallest Building

7:00 am on December 22, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

The Comcast Technology Center at 1800 Arch Street in Center City is both the tallest building and one of the largest structures in Philadelphia, standing 1,121 feet tall and spanning over 1.5 million square feet of interior space. Completed in 2017, the supertall stands 60 stories high and features office space on its lower floors and a hotel on its upper levels, with an observation deck at the top. The project was developed by Liberty Property Trust and designed by Foster and Partners, with Thornton Tomasetti behind the structural design and LF Driscoll as the contractor. Gensler crafted the exquisite and sometimes bizarre interior of the main lobby, with an architectural style well-suited for the modern workforce and the general public alike. In this feature, Philadelphia YIMBY observes the east lobby of the Comcast Technology Center which is open to the employees and the public at limited times.

Pavilion as seen from South Street Bridge. Credit: Thomas Koloski.

Work Progresses On Pedestrian Bridge At The Penn Medicine Pavilion

7:30 am on October 11, 2021 By Colin LeStourgeon

Construction is making steady progress on a new pedestrian bridge at the Penn Medicine Pavilion, a new hospital tower that is reaching completion at 300 South 33rd Street in University City. The tower, designed by Foster + Partners, stands 343 feet and 17 stories tall, with 1.5 million square feet of space. The new bridge will connect the Pavilion to SEPTA’s Penn Medicine Regional Rail Station, formerly titled University City Station. The station is one of the busiest on the system, attracting riders to the major employment center consisting of the nearby medical facilities.

Comcast Technology Center. Photo by Thomas Koloski

Revising Construction of the Comcast Technology Center Before it Topped Out

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

Since 1987, when the unofficial “Gentlemen’s Agreement” that advised against building taller than City Hall was eliminated, multiple high-rises that stand well over 500 feet tall have dramatically changed the profile of Center City. The Comcast Technology Center had first joined the skyline at the very end of 2015, and now makes an incredible impact with its height of 1,121 feet and 60 stories as the tallest skyscraper in the city. Designed by Foster and Partners and developed by Liberty Property Trust, the building stands at 1800 Arch Street and houses Comcast corporate offices along with a Four Seasons hotel. In this publication, Philadelphia YIMBY looks back at the Comcast Technology Center before it topped out.

A Look Back at the Construction Process of Penn Medicine’s Pavilion in University City, West Philadelphia

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

The Pavilion at Penn Medicine at 300 South 33rd Street in University City is a massive, and welcome, addition to West Philadelphia. Designed by Foster + Partners, the structure rises 343 feet and 17 stories tall, and holds 1.5 million square feet of interior space. Today we look at the construction process of the nearly completed building that dominates the surrounding area with its scale.

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.

Observing the Comcast Technology Center Shortly After Crane Removal

7:00 am on July 16, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

The Comcast Technology Center at 1800 Arch Street in Center City has dominated the Philadelphia skyline ever since it became the city’s tallest skyscraper in 2017. The tower rises 62 stories and 1,121 feet tall, topped with a bright beacon. The tower was designed by Norman Foster of Foster + Partners, who has done many well-known projects around the world notable for their exteriors of glass, metal, and decorative lighting. The developer of the project is Liberty Property Trust, which had also developed One Liberty Place when the company was known as Rouse and Associates under Willard Rouse. In this feature, Philadelphia YIMBY looks back at when the crane was first removed from the near-completed Comcast Technology Center.

Comcast Technology Center lantern testing from Pennsauken. Photo by Thomas Koloski

Looking Back At The Testing Of The Lantern On The Comcast Technology Center

7:00 am on June 13, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

The Comcast Technology Center at 1800 Arch Street in Center City was completed on August 12, 2019, when the hotel portion officially opened, becoming the tallest skyscraper in Philadelphia. The tower stands 1,121 feet and 60 stories tall, with a central concrete core and steel floor plates. The skyscraper was designed by Foster and Partners, which has designed several buildings that features metal highlights and bright lighting features, and developed by Liberty Property Trust, which used to be known as Rouse and Associates when Willard G. Rouse III ran the company before his death. Today YIMBY looks at the process of testing the lighting at the building’s lantern around the time of its completion.

Observing The Comcast Technology Center Shortly After Topping Out

7:00 am on May 30, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Over the past 40 years, Center City has become home to multiple structures over the height of 500 feet. Philadelphia City Hall was the tallest structure in Philadelphia from 1894 to 1986 at 548, then in 1987 the steel structure of One-Liberty-Place eventually passed the statue to soon top out its spire at 945 feet. The same developers of Liberty Place also developed the next tallest skyscraper in the city, the 974-foot Comcast Center from 2007 to 2017. In 2017, across the street to the west, the Comcast Technology Center became the tallest skyscraper in the city since 2017 and its first supertall skyscraper at 1,121 feet. For this development, Comcast had partnered with Liberty Property Trust, which was originally known as Rouse and Associates. The tower was designed by Foster and Partners, which has designed iconic structures such as the Gherkin in London and the Hearst Tower in Midtown Manhattan. Today Philly YIMBY looks back at the period when the iconic tower’s spire topped out.

Pavilion and surrounding hospital buildings. Photo by Thomas Koloski

Exterior Nearly Complete at Pavilion at 300 South 33rd Street in University City, West Philadelphia

7:00 am on May 3, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Façade work is nearly complete at the Pavilion, a medical building at 300 South 33rd Street in University City. With 1.5 million square feet of interior space, the Pavilion is one of the largest structures in West Philadelphia. The structure rises 343 feet and 17 stories as one of the tallest buildings of Penn Medicine, which is the project developer. The building was designed by the renown architects Foster + Partners, which has done several notable buildings around the world, such as the Gherkin in London, the Hearst Tower in New York City, and the Comcast Technology Center in Philadelphia. The structure replaces an older Penn Medicine building, a high-rise called Penn Tower.

Designing the Comcast Technology Center, The Tallest Skyscraper in Philadelphia

8:00 am on March 21, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

The Comcast Technology Center at 1800 Arch Street in Center City has stood as Philadelphia’s tallest skyscraper since 2017, with a height of 1,121 feet, and Philadelphia YIMBY takes a look at various concepts through schematics and models of the tower before the design was finalized.

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