History

The Centennial Tower. Image from Clarke, Reeves and Company

Remembering the Unbuilt Centennial Tower in Fairmount Park, West Philadelphia

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

During the planning for the Centennial Exposition of 1876, expo organizers put forth a bold proposal for an incredibly tall structure called the Centennial Tower in Fairmount Park, where two buildings still remain from the expo. The tower was planned at 1,000 feet tall, well before any skyscrapers were built in the city. The tower would have risen as large cross-braced tube that slims down at the top, capped with a short cone top and lightning rod, and would have featured four observation levels. The metal structure was designed by Clarke, Reeves and Company, which had also designed an older bridge that stood at then site of the current Girard Avenue Bridge.

The Drake. Photo via Murphy, Quigley Company

Taking a Look At The Drake at 1512 Spruce Street in Rittenhouse Square, Center City

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

While Philadelphia did not build massive art deco skyscrapers in the 1920s, there still were buildings that were constructed with fantastic designs in Center City such as The Drake at 1512 Spruce Street. The tower rises 33 floors above ground and stands at an impressive height of 375 feet. The tower was designed by Verus Shay and Howell Lewis Shay of the architectural firm Ritter and Shay, who have designed a building with such an incredible design with a wide profile when viewed from the east and west. The north and south profile is incredibly thin, with brickwork running up to the angled and curved tops of the Art Deco and Spanish Baroque design. The structure was constructed by Murphy, Quigley Company and was completed in 1929.

Philadelphia's South Street Bridge. Looking northwest. Credit: li2nmd via Wikipedia

The History Behind the South Street Bridge

7:30 am on April 9, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Many locations offer views of the Philadelphia skyline, yet some spots offer uniquely dramatic vistas that effectively catch the eye and stay etched in one’s mind. South Street is home not only to a popular stretch of retail, restaurants, and markets, but also to the South Street Bridge, which crosses the Schuylkill River and connects Center City and South Philadelphia to University City in West Philadelphia. For over a century, the bridge has offered sweeping skyline views to locals and visitors alike. Today Philadelphia YIMBY looks at the history behind the iconic bridge.

2209-11 North Broad Street. Looking east. Credit: Google

Permits Issued for Five-Story, 22-Unit Building at 2209-11 North Broad Street near Temple University in North Philadelphia

7:00 am on April 9, 2021 By Vitali Ogorodnikov

Permits have been issued for the construction of a five-story building at 2209-11 North Broad Street a block north of Temple University in North Philadelphia. The structure will feature a 471-square-foot retail space and 22 condominium residences. Elevator service will be included among the building’s amenities. Permits list For. Shiloh Temple and Henry Meadows L. Rev. Tr. as the owners, Christopher Carickhoff of Studio C Architecture as the designer, and V2 Properties Construction Management LLC as the general contractor.

Philadelphia YIMBY Presents Massing Renderings of the 1990 Skyline

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

By the start of the 1990s, Philadelphia had acquired a new image thanks to a number of then-recently built skyscrapers. Philly YIMBY presents exclusive massing renderings of the 1990 skyline as it stood just after the 1980s skyscraper boom in Center City, which has changed dramatically since its appearance just three years earlier (as presented in an earlier YIMBY feature).

One and Two Liberty Place. Photo By Thomas Koloski

Designing the Tower at Two Liberty Place

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

Two Liberty Place at 50 South 16th Street in Center City is a 848-foot-tall skyscraper similar in style to the complex’s anchor tower One Liberty Place at 1650 Market Street, with its floor boosted by an extension on the north side of the structure. Designed by Murphy/Jahn and developed by Willard G. Rouse III of Rouse and Associates, the tower was erected in 1988 and stands 58 stories tall. Philly YIMBY looks at the design process through drawings by Helmut Jahn that date to 1986.

PSFS Building. Image from Hagley Digital Archives

A Look Back at the PSFS Building, the First Modern Skyscraper in the United States

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

The Loews Philadelphia Hotel, formerly known as the PSFS Building, located at 1200 Market Street in the Market East section of Center City, is a remarkable skyscraper for Philadelphia as the building was ahead of its time when it was built. Upon completion, it was the most massive structure in the skyline as the large, T-shaped tower rose almost as high as the clock tower of City Hall. The 36-story building originally stood at a height of 491 feet, the first skyscraper to be built just under the informal Gentleman’s Agreement height limit. The International Style tower was designed by George Howe and William Edmond Lescaze. William later on went to design One New York Plaza just three years before his death in 1969. The developer of the skyscraper was the Philadelphia Savings and Fund Society, which still has their iconic initials attached to the east and west sides of the blue crown above the main roof.

Philadelphia skyline with unbuilt proposals. Image and models by Thomas Koloski

The Unbuilt Skyline: a Comprehensive Look at Philadelphia’s Major Canceled Skyscrapers

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

The Philadelphia skyline has grown enormously over the past few decades, yet there are many formerly planned towers that were once planned yet were never completed. Philly YIMBY recently ran a series of articles that shined a spotlight on a number of unbuilt buildings. The designs came in various unique shapes: some featured curves, some boxy, and others with sharp angled cuts that gave them distinct character. While some were notably more appealing than others, even the most subpar of these designs would have dramatically elevated the city’s already impressive skyline to a new level. Today we present what the skyline would have looked like if all of these developments were built.

623 and 625 North 52nd Street. Looking east. Credit: Google

Permits Issued for Two Multi-Family Buildings at 623 and 625 North 52nd Street in Mill Creek, West Philadelphia

7:00 am on March 22, 2021 By Vitali Ogorodnikov

A pair of zoning permits have been issued for the construction of two multi-family buildings at 623 North 52nd Street and at 625 North 52nd Street in Mill Creek, West Philadelphia. The pair will replace a vacant lot situated on the east side of the block between Wyalusing Avenue and Girard Avenue. Each structure will span a footprint of 920 square feet. Billy Williams Jr. is the listed owner and Accrete LLC is the contractor for both properties.

Designing the Comcast Technology Center, The Tallest Skyscraper in Philadelphia

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

The Comcast Technology Center at 1800 Arch Street in Center City has stood as Philadelphia’s tallest skyscraper since 2017, with a height of 1,121 feet, and Philadelphia YIMBY takes a look at various concepts through schematics and models of the tower before the design was finalized.

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