Market East

First scheme of the PSFS Building. Image via George Howe

YIMBY Presents Massing Renderings of the First PSFS Building Design

In the 1920s, banks were looking for space in cities around the country as the economy boomed. In Philadelphia, multiple high-rises were under construction and in proposal stages as Center City was rapidly transforming. One of these financial institutions, the Philadelphia Savings Fund Society, was scouting the city for space for a new office building and eventually selected the site at 1200 Market Street, where the William Penn Charter School once stood. Architects George Howe and William Lescaze designed the PSFS Building, which stood as one of the most massive buildings in the skyline for decades. In this feature, Philadelphia YIMBY presents massing renderings of an early iteration of the that was drawn up in 1928.

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First scheme of the PSFS Building. Image via George Howe

Looking Back at Early Iterations of the PSFS Building

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.

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PSFS Building. Image from Hagley Digital Archives

A Look Back at the Construction Of The PSFS Building at 1200 Market Street in Market East, Center City

In the early 1900s, skyscrapers of ever-increasing heights began to rise all over the world, including in Philadelphia. By the late 1920s, the Philadelphia Savings and Fund Society was looking for extra space in the city and was looking to construct a new building for their needs. The PSFS selected architects George Howe and William Edmond Lescaze to design a skyscraper that would stand at 1200 Market Street. Upon its completion in 1932, the PSFS Building not only dominated the skyline with its height of 491 feet and 36 stories, but was also notable as one of the first major International-style skyscrapers in the world.

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East Market Phase 3. Credit: National Real Estate Development / Ennead Architects / Morris Adjmi / BLTa via CDR

Foundation Underway at the Site of Formerly Planned Residential Tower at 1153 Chestnut Street in Market East, Center City

Foundation work is underway for a residential building that was formerly planned at 1153 Chestnut Street in Market East, Center City, as part of the East Market Phase 3 development. Developed by National Real Estate Development, the project is the latest phase of the East Market complex. The work is in progress on the west side of the project, where three stories of underground parking, capped with a public space, are currently planned, though the space may be replaced with a high-rise building in the future. The previous plan, designed by Morris Adjmi Architects, was proposed to stand at 329 feet and 24 stories tall, with an interesting terra cotta cladding.

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Thomas Jefferson Specialty Care Pavilion rendering. Image via Jefferson Health

Basement Floors Of Thomas Jefferson Specialty Care Pavilion Underway at 1101 Chestnut Street in Market East, Center City

The lower basement floors are currently under construction at the Thomas Jefferson Specialty Care Pavilion at 1101 Chestnut Street in the Market East neighborhood of Center City. The skyscraper is a part of project dubbed East Market Phase 3, which will elevate the profile of a city block that was previously occupied by a prewar parking structure. Designed by Ennead Architects and Stantec and developed by the National Real Estate Development, the building will stand 372 feet and 23 stories tall and will feature a curvy glass façade.

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