Center City

City Tower model and schematics. Images via Louis I. Kahn

A Look at the Unbuilt City Tower by Louis Kahn in Center City

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

In the 1950s, Philadelphia was starting to see a rise in new development as developers focused on Center City, particularly after the demolition of the “Chinese Wall” opened up a large swath of space from City Hall to the Schuylkill River. A wild proposal called the City Tower was revealed in the late 1950s at 1400 Arch Street, where the Philadelphia Municipal Services Building currently stands. The 30-story tower would have stood just to the north of City Hall. The tower was designed by Louis I. Kahn in a dramatic Futurist style, as the building’s design and form were way ahead of its time.

Excavation Equipment On Site at 1823 Callowhill Street in Franklintown, Center City

7:30 am on May 1, 2021 By Colin LeStourgeon

Excavation is in progress at 1823 Callowhill Street in Franklintown, North Philadelphia. Designed by Wulff Architects, the building will rise six stories tall and will feature 57 residential units, according to a CDR filing from last April. A 5,000 square foot fresh food market will be located on the ground floor, as well as two commercial spaces, with one holding 1,500 square feet of space, and the other with 680 square feet of space. No parking space is planned for the property, which makes sense given its location that is within walking distance of many Center City destinations.

Philadelphia YIMBY Presents Massing Renderings Of The 1965 Skyline

8:00 am on April 30, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

In the 1960s, Philadelphia observed a rise in development with ample space available for new buildings in Center City. The William Penn statue at the pinnacle of City Hall still topped the Philadelphia skyline with a height of 548 feet, though it was surrounded by high-rises that stood nearly as tall. Today YIMBY presents massing renderings of the skyline as it appeared in 1965, when a new batch of modern and blocky towers were rising, with still more proposed.

2222 Market Street rendering from Parkway Corp.

Foundation Work Nearly Complete at 2222 Market Street in Center City West

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

After a rapid excavation, the foundation for 2222 Market Street in Center City West is nearly complete. The building will rise to a total height of 318 feet and 20 stories above the ground. Designed by Gensler and developed by Parkway Commercial Properties, the tower will feature a glass façade with stone highlights and glass, along with public space and amenity space. The building will stand at the former site of a 21,000-square-foot parking lot, which was also owned by the developer.

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

In-Depth Look at East Market Phase 3, a Two-Tower Complex Underway at 1101-53 Chestnut Street in Market East, Center City

8:00 am on April 28, 2021 By Vitali Ogorodnikov

In the late 1980s, in rapid succession, a series of skyscrapers broke through the long-held “Gentlemen’s Agreement” that unofficially restricted Philadelphia’s buildings from rising above the 548-foot-tall pinnacle of City Hall, creating the now-iconic skyline of Center City. While the skyscraper cluster transformed the area to the west of City Hall, the Market East district to the east continues to lag behind in terms of an imposing skyline. However, East Market Phase 3, developed by National Real Estate Development as part of the East Market complex and currently under construction at 1101-53 Chestnut Street, will boost the local skyline with a pair of towers rising 364 and 288 feet tall. The buildings will bring one million square feet of medical office, residential, and retail space to the neighborhood, and add a sizable public plaza. Today we take a detailed look at the transformative project.

PNB Building (left) in the Philadelphia skyline. Photo by Thomas Koloski

Looking at the PNB Building at One South Broad Street in Center City

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

The PNB Building at One South Broad Street in Center City was originally built as a massive addition to the Wanamaker’s at 1300 Market Street, just to the west of the department store. The building was originally called the Lincoln-Liberty Building, though today the structure is known as One South Broad. The 465,000-square-foot building stands 28 stories tall and rises to a height of 478 feet. The tower was designed by John Torrey Windrim, who also designed the Franklin Institute, which was completed in 1934. The building features a wide profile from the east and west and a setbacked crown that steps up to a bell tower that holds the 17-ton Founder’s Bell. The tower’ cornerstone was placed on October 1, 1931, shortly before the nearby Wanamaker Men’s Store opened over a week later on October 12, 1932.

Philadelphia skyline 1975 south elevation. Image and models by Thomas Koloski

Philadelphia YIMBY Presents Massing Renderings of the 1975 Skyline

8:00 am on April 19, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

In the 1970s the Philadelphia skyline was on the rise, with bulky new office towers being constructed throughout Center City. At this time, the “Gentlemen’s Agreement” was untouched, as every structure stood below the height of the statue of William Penn at the top of City Hall. New high-rises were adding substantial amounts of office space and dominated the previous structures that stood out in the skyline, and featured various designs with stone, metal, and glass cladding. Philadelphia YIMBY presents massing renderings of the skyline as it stood in 1975, when Brutalist architecture dominated much of the financial district, including the area around City Hall.

Riverwalk south and north from a garage looking east. Photo by Thomas Koloski

GIANT Supermarket Opens at Riverwalk North Tower in Center City West

8:00 am on April 17, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

The large GIANT supermarket located on the first two levels of the Riverwalk north tower at 60 North 23rd Street has officially opened, bringing a new shopping hub to Center City West. Designed by Gensler and developed by PMC Property Group, the tower stands prominent at the Schuylkill River Trail, and the way the façade takes in daylight in a dramatic fashion, with metal cladding manipulating creating different shades. The two-tower project will have 711 units, and the shorter north tower will have 331 units above the podium floors. The tower, which replaces a large parking lot, stands 315 feet tall and 28 stories above ground.

Philadelphia skyline 1985 south elevation. Image and models by Thomas Koloski

Philadelphia YIMBY Presents Massings of the 1985 Skyline

8:00 am on April 15, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

In the mid-1980s, the Philadelphia skyline rose as an even, roughly 500-foot plateau, particularly when viewed from the north and south. Though the skyline spanned a great expanse length-wise, it remained at a low profile, in great part thanks to the “Gentlemen’s Agreement” to not build above the 548-foot-tall pinnacle of the City Hall, which sat just beneath the 37-foot-tall statue of William Penn, the state’s founder. Philly YIMBY presents exclusive massing renderings of the city skyline just as it appeared in 1985, just before One Commerce Square and One Liberty Place both broke ground, starting their challenge to the skyline in the summer.

Arthaus rendering. Photo and edit by Thomas Koloski

Arthaus Nears Top of Parapet in Washington Square West, Center City

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

The Arthaus condominium under construction at 311 South Broad Street in Center City is nearing the very top of the parapet, which will stand at at an impressive height of 542 feet. Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox and developed by Dranoff Properties, the 45-story skyscraper features a bright and modern design. The tower will include 107 units and amenity and retail space on the first four floors, along with green roofs at the top of the podium and at the roof. The building’s design is perfect for the Philadelphia skyline as the tower keeps a blocky profile while changing form as it steps up to a square crown, with the metal cladding thickening around the edges as it opens up on the glass faces to have thinner metal run vertical up the tower with spaces dividing the rows.

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