High-rise

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.

Timber Towers. Rendering via Hickok Cole

Examining Timber Towers, a Visionary Concept for Wood-Framed High-Rises Suggested for Center City

8:00 am on February 20, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

In 2018, architecture firm Hickok Cole published a design concept for Timber Towers, a trio of mixed-use high-rises that would use wood as the principal structural material. The concept, which won an honorable mention in the SKYHIVE Skyscraper Challenge, was designed to span an entire block in Center City to the northwest of the Comcast Technology Center. According to the architects, the 1.9-million-square-foot plan would use 2,075,125 cubic feet of wood products, “easily replenished by North American forests in less than three hours,” and sequester 80,775 US tons of carbon dioxide within the structure, resulting in emissions savings are the equivalent those produced by 12,073 cars within one year.

Site Clearance in Progress at Penn’s Landing Redevelopment in Center City

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

The massive Penn’s Landing Redevelopment project will dramatically transform the Delaware River waterfront south of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. Developed by The Durst Organization, the complex will create over 3.6 million square feet of floor space, as well as a 11.5-acre public park. The $2.2 billion project will add 1,834 residential units and a significant amount of office space, while expanding the Center City skyline to the east and likely inviting high-rise growth in the gap between the waterfront and the skyline core.

Cira 2 and the Cira Center. Photo by KMCA Architectural Model Makers and Prototyping

Looking Back at the Second Tower Once Planned at Cira Centre in University City, West Philadelphia

8:00 am on February 13, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Shortly after the completion of the first Cira Centre skyscraper in 2005, plans were revealed for a second tower at a nearby site. The 725-foot-tall, 48-story high-rise was shown as part of a model of the greater complex, around the time of the groundbreaking of the FMC Tower nearby to the south. The project was designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architecture and planned for development by Brandywine Realty Trust, a team that is also behind the original Cira Centre as well as the Evo and FMC Tower at Cira Centre South, a group of buildings that has transformed the University City skyline.

Mellon Bank Center. Photo via Elizabeth Day Art & Architectural Illustration

A Look at the Former, Taller Iteration of Mellon Bank Center, Center City

8:00 am on February 12, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

The 824-foot Mellon Bank Center at 1735 Market Street was completed in 1990. Originally, the tower had a similar design yet with a taller shape and several other differences. Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox and developed by CommonWealth REIT, the tower would have stood 880 feet tall and would have featured projecting floor space at the corners up to an estimated height of 400 feet. The crown would have also appeared more skeletal than it looks today. Stone patterns all around the base are different.

American Commerce Center rendering via Kohn Pendersen Fox

The Story of the American Commerce Center, Once Planned as Philadelphia’s Tallest Tower

8:00 am on February 10, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

During the construction of the first Comcast Center tower, many wondered whether the 975-foot-tall skyscraper would rank as the city’s tallest for much longer. Just a few months before the former’s topping out, details were released about the American Commerce Center at 1800 Arch Street, a proposal that stunned many development watchers with its 1,510-foot height. The project was being developed by Hill International Real Estate Partners and designed by Kohn Pendersen Fox, a firm that is also behind the 792-foot-tall Mellon Bank Center, currently the city’s fifth-tallest building, and Arthaus, a 542-foot-tall skyscraper currently under construction. The development was ultimately canceled and the 1,121-foot-tall Comcast Technology Center was built at the site.

Rendering of 3025 John F. Kennedy Boulevard via Brandywine Realty

Groundbreaking Imminent at Schuylkill Yards West at 3025 John F. Kennedy Boulevard in University City, West Philadelphia

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

The team behind Schuylkill Yards West at 3025 John F. Kennedy has announced that a groundbreaking has been scheduled for March. The 361-foot-tall, 28-story tower will be the first of the skyscrapers planned at the 14-acre Schuylkill Yards megaproject, which is developed by Brandywine Realty Trust. The building was designed by Practice for Architecture and Urbanism, which has also designed the vibrant red 3001 John F. Kennedy Boulevard that will rise to the east. The building will house retail and 326 residential units, which will be serviced by a large amenity terrace. The building will also feature office and lab space on the podium floors.

Arthaus Close to Topping Out at South Broad Street in Center City

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

Topping out appears imminent at Arthaus, a 542-foot-tall, 47-story tower rising at 311 South Broad Street in Center City, a few blocks to the south of City Hall. The project’s height is remarkable for the area and the building already stands high above the surroundings. The tower will have 107 units, with the lower four floors designated for amenity, retail, and parking space. The tower is designed by the renowned architecture firm Kohn Pedersen Fox, which also designed the one of the city’s tallest buildings, the BNY Mellon Center at 1735 Market Street. Developer Dranoff Properties is also behind the 375-foot-tall, 163-unit Symphony House, completed a block south at 1414 Pine Street in 2007.

Philadelphia nighttime skyline from New Jersey. Photo by Thomas Koloski

Decorative Lighting Upgrade Complete Atop One Liberty Place in Center City

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

One Liberty Place has been a centerpiece of the Philadelphia skyline since 1987, with a nighttime display that highlights the angled crown and spire. Designed by renowned architect Helmut Jahn and developed by Rouse and Associates, the 945-foot-tall, 61-story tower is part of a complex that includes the similarly-sized Two Liberty Place tower as well as a hotel and a shopping mall. Recently, an upgrade has been completed on the building’s decorative lighting, restoring its place on the night skyline.

East Market Phase 3 Excavation Complete, Foundation Laid Out in Market East, Center City

8:00 am on February 5, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Excavation is complete at the massive site for the two-tower East Market Phase 3 project at 1101 Chestnut Street and 1153 Chestnut Street in Market East, Center City. The towers are individually designed by different architects, with the Thomas Jefferson Specialty Care Pavilion designed by Ennead Architects and Stantec and the residential building to the west designed by Morris Adjmi Architects. The gigantic site for the buildings used to be a prewar style parking garage that was purchased by developer National Real Estate Group. Both towers will have a combined square footage of over 712,000 square feet. The Jefferson building will consist of office space and the residential building will have 396 units. The terracotta clad residential building will stand 329 feet tall and the glass clad Jefferson tower will rise 372 feet tall, adding bulk to the skyline near the Loews Hotel and Jefferson Center (formerly Aramark Tower).

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