W/Element Hotel

Retail Space Opens at W/Element Hotel at 1439 Chestnut Street in Center City

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

The dual-branded W/Element Hotel, located at 1439 Chestnut Street in Center City, has opened its final section to the public with the completion of its retail portion. Designed by Cope-Linder Architects and developed by the Chestlen Development Group, the tower rises 617 feet and 52 stories above ground, and stands at the former site of One Meridian Plaza, a block to the south of City Hall. Tutor Perini is the general contractor and The Lighting Practice is the lighting designer and contractor for the tower’s elaborate nighttime illumination. The skyscraper has an enormous impact on the skyline, more so than just about any other building completed in the past couple of years.

W/Element Hotel from City Hall. Photo by Thomas Koloski

W Hotel Opens to Visitors, Marking the Completion of the W/Element Hotel at 1141 Chestnut Street in Center City

7:30 am on August 31, 2021 By Vitali Ogorodnikov

The most dramatic skyscraper to join the Philadelphia skyline over the course of the past two years is the dual-branded W/Element Hotel, which stands at 1141 Chestnut Street in Center City, a block south of City Hall. Designed by Cope-Linder Architects and developed by Chestlen Development, the 617-foot-tall, 52-story structure combines a 460-room Element Hotel and a 295-room W Hotel. The building has stood largely finished for the past few months, as the Element Hotel opened in May and its dynamic nighttime illumination finishing its testing rounds. As of last week, we may officially declare the building as complete, as the W Hotel opened its doors on August 23rd.

One Liberty Place and the W/Element Hotel lit up from New Jersey. Photo by Thomas Koloski

Last Year’s December Development Countdown Ranks at Number 24 on Philly YIMBY’s First Anniversary Countdown

7:30 am on August 26, 2021 By Vitali Ogorodnikov

We apologize for the somewhat confusing headline. Philadelphia YIMBY’s First Anniversary Countdown tracks the most frequently mentioned article categories over the course of the past year. Last year’s December Development Countdown, which looked at the 31 tallest buildings under construction or proposed in the city, racked up 31 category listings during its month-long run, earning it the 24th place on the ongoing countdown. Today we look at the top three entries from the December Countdown, all located in Center City, and check in on the progress they have made so far in 2021.

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.

W/Element Hotel south face. Photo by Thomas Koloski

Looking Back at the W/Element Hotel Rising Into the Philadelphia Skyline

7:00 am on June 4, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

One of the most significant skyscrapers recently constructed in Philadelphia is the W/Element Hotel at 1441 Chestnut Street in Center City. Located at the former site of the demolished One Meridian Plaza, the tower went through several design changes and different architectural firms, with Cope-Linder Architects being the final choice. The site also went through different developers, with Chestlen Development Group ending up as the final developer. The proposal was revealed in 2013, and now the tower is finally nearing completion. Today Philly YIMBY looks at the tower’s construction progress over the years.

Philadelphia skyline lit up from South Philadelphia. Photo by Thomas Koloski

Observing the New Lighting Schemes in the Philadelphia Skyline

7:30 am on May 20, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Last month, Philadelphia YIMBY reported on new lighting schemes that are decorating the nighttime skyline. Though it was already known that One Liberty Place at 1650 Market Street and the W/Element Hotel at 1441 Chestnut Street, both located in Center City, are having their lighting tested, both now feature together in the skyline, with new programming visible to the residents of the city. The lights on One Liberty Place, which used to be dimmer and had sections of the lighting noticeably lit a different color, the lights have now been fixed and brightened. The W/Element Hotel used to be a dark skyscraper in the night time skyline with just the aviation warning lights noticeable, but now the skyscraper is lit up nearly as much as the FMC Tower in University City.

W/Element Hotel from Chestnut Street. Photo by Thomas Koloski

Element Hotel Opens at W/Element Hotel at 1441 Chestnut Street in Center City

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

The Element Hotel at the W/Element Hotel has opened for business at 1441 Chestnut Street in Center City, with the W Hotel scheduled to open in July. The 52-story skyscraper stands at a height of 617 feet, where the Element Hotel will have 460 rooms and the W Hotel will have 295 rooms, bringing the total to 755 units. Designed by Philadelphia-based Cope-Liner Architects and developed by Chestlen Development, the tower featuring a jagged top and scattered lighting. The latter was crafted by The Lighting Practice, which has lit up structures such as the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, 2400 Market Street, the PECO Building, and the Empire State Building in New York City. Tutor Perini Corporation is the contractor for the skyscraper.

New Lighting Schemes Decorate Philadelphia Skyline at Night

8:00 am on April 29, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Since the late 1980s, Philadelphia’s Center City skyscrapers featured appealing decorative lighting schemes. The first tower to be lit up was One Liberty Place at 1650 Market Street, completed in 1987, with lights accentuating the angled crown and the sharp spire. Over the years more high-rises towers were constructed that also displayed standout nighttime lighting, with one of the biggest recent additions being the Comcast Technology Center with its massive lantern at the top. Even more recent was the W/Element Hotel at 1441 Chestnut Street, where intensive testing of its the decorative lighting started just a few months ago.

The Philadelphia skyline as seen from the Walt Whitman Bridge. Photo by Thomas Koloski

Looking at Some of the Most Impactful Additions to the Philadelphia Skyline Since 2017

8:00 am on April 6, 2021 By Colin LeStourgeon

The Philadelphia skyline has long provided an iconic image for the city and the state, with high-rise buildings dating back to the late 19th century, the most iconic being the City Hall, which topped out in 1894 as the tallest habitable building in the world, a title it held until 1908. Each era of skyscraper construction has made a significant impact on the skyline, with prominent types of skyscrapers defining each time period. The city has recently seen a skyscraper construction boom, which began around 2017, with many high-rises completed and under construction since that time. Philadelphia YIMBY looks at some of the most impactful structures that the city has received during this period.

W/Element Hotel with decorative lighting. Photo by Thomas Koloski

Decorative Lighting Tested Atop W/Element Hotel at 1441 Chestnut Street in Center City

8:00 am on February 22, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

In recent days, decorative lighting was undergoing testing atop the W/Element Hotel at 1441 Chestnut Street in Center City, as the dual-branded hotel readies for its grand opening in the coming months (Element Hotel in April and the W Hotel in May). Designed by Cope-Linder Architects and developed by Chestlen Development, the tower’s nighttime illumination will be particularly effective due to the tower’s prominent height of 617 feet and 52 stories, further enhanced by the dramatic design inspired by the ripples on the Schuylkill River. During Superbowl LII, the Lighting Practice, the building’s illumination designer, was inspired by multiple skyscrapers that were illuminated in green in honor of the Philadelphia Eagles and decided to switch from an all-white design to a multi-colored LED system.

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