Skyline massing

Philly YIMBY Reveals Massing Models for the Schuylkill Yards Supertall in University City, West Philadelphia

8:00 am on February 16, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Ever since the master plan for Schuylkill Yards in University City was unveiled for the first time, it displayed a supertall skyscraper dominating the 14-acre site, a feature that persisted throughout all future iterations. Renderings show a glass-clad tower rising at 3101 Market Street, accented with bronze highlights that appear similar to those at 9 DeKalb and 111 West 57th Street in New York City, which are also designed by SHoP Architects, the group behind the Schuylkill Yards master plan. Brandywine Realty Trust, the project developer, is also responsible for projects such as the 350-foot-tall tower proposed at 2100 Market Street in Center City. As of the 2016 renderings, the supertall appears to rise around 1,100 feet high.

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.

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.

222-30 Walnut Street. Credit: Cecil Baker + Partners Architects

YIMBY Reveals New Massing Image for 222 Walnut Street in Old City, Center City

8:00 am on January 25, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

A 253-foot-tall, 20-story development is slated to rise at 222 Walnut Street in Old City, Center City, integrating a portion of a three-story building built in 1856. Designed by Cecil Baker + Partners and developed by 230 Walnut Street LLC, the project is located near the Society Hill Towers, a high-rise development designed by I.M. Pei.

One Liberty Place from Cira Green. Photo by Thomas Koloski

Designing One Liberty Place, the Tower that Transformed Philadelphia’s Skyline

8:00 am on January 18, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

One Liberty Place at 1650 Market Street is an intricately designed skyscraper has dominated the skyline of Center City for over three decades. Designed by Murphy/Jahn and developed by Rouse and Associates, the tower is clad in a pattern of stone, metal, and glass that rises up to the angled crown and the thin spire. The tower first rose to its final 61-story height in the beginning of 1987, when the top floor was assembled beneath the future spire. Philly YIMBY looks back at the design process by architect Helmut Jahn via drawings from 1984, which show multiple design iterations.

uCity Square rendering aerial via State of University City Report

Phase Two of uCity Square Awaits Construction in University City, West Philadelphia

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

The seven buildings that comprise the uCity Square project in University City, West Philadelphia, are under various stages of progress, with three currently under construction and four more still under planning, to be built in the next phase. The proposed towers will effectively surround One uCity Square, flanking the building to the south and to the west and creating an extraordinarily dense cluster of buildings. Designed by Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects and developed by Ventas Incorporated, uCity Square will bring 6.5 million square feet of mixed-use space spread across the 14-acre site. The three buildings will stand on North 38th Street, with the hotel proposed at the corner of North 37th Street and Filbert Street, and will rise 23, 18, 15, and 14 stories.

The Blue Ivy Hotel. Credit: Das Architects

Philly YIMBY Reveals Concept Massings for the Blue Ivy Hotel at 122 South 11th Street in Market East, Center City

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

The Market East section of Center City is rapidly transforming, with a number of developments currently proposed, notably on the 1100 block between Walnut Street and Sansom Street, where three high-rises are proposed close to one another, bringing mass to the local skyline. The shortest of the three is the 200-foot-tall, 86-unit Blue Ivy Hotel proposed at 122 South 11th Street. Designed by DAS Architecture and developed by Estia Group, the structure will be located at the southwest corner of South 11th Street and Sansom Street and will rise 14 stories.

3151 Market Street via Brandywine Realty

Construction Anticipated at 3151 Market Street at Schuylkill Yards in University City, West Philadelphia

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

Construction preparation appears imminent at the 185-foot-tall, 14-story tower proposed at 3151 Market Street in University City, West Philadelphia. The building will rise between Market Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard and include lab space for use by the nearby universities. Designed by SHoP Architects, a firm with projects all over the world, the exterior originally had yellow exterior cladding, but the latest plans show a green metallic exterior. The building is developed by Brandywine Realty Trust as part of the 14-acre Schuylkill Yards development, which plans to include a major cluster of towers, though for now only a small group of high-rises under 500 feet tall have been proposed.

One Cathedral Square. Credit: Solomon Cordwell Buenz

Machinery Arrives at Cathedral Square Phase One at 222 North 17th Street in Logan Square, Center City

8:00 am on January 7, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Excavation appears imminent for Cathedral Square Phase One, a 245-foot-tall tower proposed for 222 North 17th Street in Logan Square, on the northern fringe of Center City. The 23-story building is developed by Exeter Property Group and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia as part of the two-tower Cathedral Square development, which will rise next to the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul. Phase One, located at the southeast corner of the block-spanning project, will replace a parking lot with a three story building. The structure will span 265,849 square feet and will offer a total of 273 residential units, over 3,000 square feet of retail space, and 18 underground parking spaces. The tower was designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz, which has designed many recent projects across the city.

Schuylkill Yards Bulletin Building. Photo by Thomas Koloski

The Bulletin Building Nears Completion at 3025 Market Street in University City, West Philadelphia

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

The 14-acre, multi-tower Schuylkill Yards development is gaining traction as completion nears at the first building, the four-story Bulletin Building at 3025 Market Street in University City, West Philadelphia. Originally built in 1954, the commercial building has been incorporated into the greater development and overhauled on the outside and inside by developer Brandywine Realty Trust, which is responsible for the whole Schuylkill Yards project, and Practice for Architecture and Urbanism, which is also designing a number of buildings in the development. The modern renovation includes office, lab and science space, as well as 10,000 square feet of retail on the ground floor. Spark Therapeutics is the building’s primary tenant.

Pages: 123456789101112131415

Fetching more...

Skyline massing

What’s happening in your backyard?