High-rise

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).

Riverwalk South Tower Reaches Halfway Point in Center City West

7:30 am on February 5, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

The 32-story, 380-unit Riverwalk South, the taller component of the two-tower Riverwalk project has risen to the halfway point at 60 North 23rd Street in Center City West. The tower will soon be 362 feet tall next to its 315-foot companion to the north. While the north tower is horizontally aligned with the streets of Philadelphia, the south tower sits at a 20-degree angle that makes the wide south elevation of the building face the Schuylkill River. Designed by Gensler and developed by PMC Property Group, the complex will feature a total of 711 units and retail space in the towers’ three-story bases that are split by Arch Street.

1620 Sansom Street. Credit: Solomon Cordwell Buenz

Demolition Nears at 1620 Sansom Street in Rittenhouse Square, Center City

8:00 am on February 3, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Permits have been filed for the demolition of a parking garage at 1620 Sansom Street in Rittenhouse Square, Center City, two blocks south of the Liberty Place complex. In its place will rise a 340-foot-tall, 27-story residential tower, designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz and developed by Southern Land Company, which is currently constructing The Laurel Rittenhouse Square nearby. The tower will will feature a varied mix of materials and will span a major portion of the block, standing on a site measures around 190 by 95 feet. The building will have 298 units and 19,600 square feet of restaurant space, 5,200 square feet of retail, and 67 underground parking spaces.

Riverwalk, looking southeast. Credit: PMC Property Group

Cladding Nearly Finished at Riverwalk North in Center City West

7:30 am on February 3, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Construction progress continues at Riverwalk, a pair of residential towers at 60 North 23rd Street in Center City West.The development has already made an impact on the skyline as the north tower has nearly wrapped up the glass and metal exterior. The development will have a total of 711 units, with 331 units located in the north tower, which will open ahead of the south tower. Designed by Gensler and developed by PMC Property Group, which has a number of properties across the city, the 315-foot-tall, 28-story tower features a façade of high quality glass and metal that echoes the Schuylkill River to the west, where the metal forms waves transformed by natural light throughout the day. The concrete-framed structure replaces a large parking lot.

Excavation Nearly Complete On Foundation Of 2222 Market Street in Center City

8:00 am on February 1, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Foundation excavation is nearly complete at 2222 Market Street, where a 20-story structure will soon rise. Designed by Gensler and developed by Parkway Commercial Properties, the glass clad building with stone highlights will replace a 21,000-square-foot parking lot. The 329,100-square-foot building will stand around 300 feet tall, adding a substantial amount of floor space to Center City West.

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