Three Logan Square

Arthaus and Center City towers from the I-95. Photo by Thomas Koloski

Toward the Blue Yonder: Comparing Views from the Tallest Skyscrapers on the Philadelphia Skyline

8:00 am on January 6, 2022 By Vitali Ogorodnikov

High-rise development offer numerous advantages, including efficient use of valuable urban real estate, environmental benefits through resource use economies of scale and conservation of land, and dense, transit-friendly and pedestrian-favorable environments that create thriving cities. Then, of course, there are the lofty views that are available to dwellers of sky-high aeries. Using the formula of D = 1.22459 x Sqrt (H + 5.58), where D equals distance and H stands for the height of the building’s highest floor and 5.58 represents 5′-7″, the height of the average US adult in feet, we can calculate the longest unobstructed view distances on a clear day from any building level. Today YIMBY offers a comparison of views and view distances from the highest floors of some of the tallest buildings on the Philadelphia skyline.

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Bell Atlantic Tower from Logan Square. Photo by Thomas Koloski

A Look At Three Logan Square in Logan Square, Center City

7:30 am on June 6, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

The construction boom of the 1980s brought a new generation of skyscrapers, many of which still make up the principal mass of the Philadelphia skyline. One of these skyscrapers is the Bell Atlantic Tower at 1717 Arch Street, now known as Three Logan Square. Designed by designed by Kling Lindquist, the building stands at an imposing height of 739 feet and 55 stories. The all-steel structure was constructed by Turner Construction. The skyscraper, located in the Logan Square neighborhood of Center City, has a notable presence both during day and night, as the cladding features an eye-catching mix of colors as well as incredible nighttime lighting.

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Bell Atlantic Tower. Photo by Thomas Koloski

A Look At Past Designs for the Bell Atlantic Tower in Logan Square, Center City

8:00 am on June 2, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

In the 1980s, new skyscraper proposals surged after the proposed Liberty Place project was poised to break the 548-foot height limit established by the tower of City Hall. Five of the proposals now stand in the skyline, which include the 739-foot-tall Bell Atlantic Tower at 1717 Arch Street in Logan Square, Center City. Designed by Kling Lindquist, the setbacks of the 55-story skyscraper were partially inspired by structures such as the Empire State Building and One Liberty Place, which itself is similar to the Chrysler Building. Brandywine Realty Trust has owned the skyscraper since 2010, and is now officially known as Three Logan Square. Today Philly YIMBY looks at the alternate designs that were once considered for the structure.

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Philadelphia skyline from South Street Bridge. Photo by The Philadelphia Inquirer

The Illustrated History of Philadelphia’s Skyscraper Boom of 1984-1991

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

The Philadelphia skyline is anchored by a group of particularly tall buildings, but just 40 years ago, not a single tower rose over 548 feet, the height of the City Hall tower that was completed in 1901. An informal “gentlemen’s agreement” held towers back from rising above the limit, but no developer was successful until One Commerce Square was approved in 1984, which was soon followed by a series of even taller skyscrapers. Philly YIMBY looks at the history behind these Center City buildings, which shaped a major portion of the Philadelphia skyline as we know it today.

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