Center City

Philadelphia 1945 and 2020 south elevation. Model and image by Thomas Koloski

Philadelphia YIMBY Compares Massing Renderings of the 1945 and the 2020 Skyline

In the mid-1940s, the Philadelphia skyline still maintained the general look it received during the construction boom of the 1920s and 1930, when several new towers added significant mass to the Center City skyline. The Philadelphia City Hall still topped the skyline at 548 feet tall, but by the 40s more high-rises were nearing the top of the clock tower, with several rising in the 300-foot range. A number of Art Deco buildings stood out, with predominantly light and dark brown shades. Today Philly YIMBY compares massing renderings of the 1945 skyline and the 2020 skyline.

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Delaware River Trail. Image via Delaware River Waterfront Corporation

Delaware River Trail Underway Near Penn’s Landing Redevelopment in Center City

The Delaware River Trail that sits just next to the site of the recently proposed Penn’s Landing redevelopment is underway in between the public space and the Interstate 95. The project is a part the Master Plan for the Central Delaware, which will extend and enhance the waterfront. Developed by the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation, the project will feature open space extending for six miles along the Delaware River from Oregon Avenue in South Philadelphia to East Allegheny Avenue in Kensington, with the trail divided into four zones. The public space will feature new vegetation and planting, bi-directional bicycle lanes, solar lighting, and improved public access to the trail.

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Credit: Handel Architects.

Two-Towered Development Planned at 200 Spring Garden Street and 412 North 2nd Street in Northern Liberties

In the last few days, details have been slowly coming to light about a large potential development planned for 200 Spring Garden Street and 412 North 2nd Street in the zone situated between Northern Liberties and Old City. National Real Estate, the developers of the massive East Market complex in Center City, is behind the project. One of the two planned high-rises is a 14-story tower situated at 2nd and Spring Garden that will hold 355 residential units. The tower will stand 149 feet tall and will also include 105 parking spaces. The other building will be located at 412 North 2nd Street and will stand 244 feet and 23 floors high. Here, 397 residential units will be situated along with 106 parking spaces.

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The Lewis Tower from Arthaus. Photo by Thomas Koloski

A Look At The Lewis Tower At 1425 Locust Street in Rittenhouse Square, Center City

Philadelphia is home to a sizable collection of intricately designed skyscrapers that were built between 1920 and 1940, which still stand out on the cityscape despite being drastically shorter than the modern towers of Center City. The east side of the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood features many towers built within that time frame, including The Lewis Tower, now known as The Aria Condos at 1425 Locust Street. The structure rises 389 feet and 33 stories tall, just one block to the north of the 375-foot-tall tower known as The Drake. The skyscraper was designed by Edmund Gilchrist, and Gravell and Hall engineered the steel structure. The Art Deco building was completed in 1929.

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