Skyline massing

First scheme of the PSFS Building. Image via George Howe

YIMBY Presents Massing Renderings of the First PSFS Building Design

7:30 am on August 2, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

In the 1920s, banks were looking for space in cities around the country as the economy boomed. In Philadelphia, multiple high-rises were under construction and in proposal stages as Center City was rapidly transforming. One of these financial institutions, the Philadelphia Savings Fund Society, was scouting the city for space for a new office building and eventually selected the site at 1200 Market Street, where the William Penn Charter School once stood. Architects George Howe and William Lescaze designed the PSFS Building, which stood as one of the most massive buildings in the skyline for decades. In this feature, Philadelphia YIMBY presents massing renderings of an early iteration of the that was drawn up in 1928.

YIMBY Presents Massing Animations of The Philadelphia Skyline Growth from 1985 to 1990

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

In recent months, YIMBY shared multiple publications covering the historical status of the Philadelphia skyline. Though our massing renderings have gone all the way back to when City Hall stood alone in the skyline, the modern skyline largely came into being around 30 years ago, when developers finally dared to pass its 548-foot-high William Penn Statue. Philadelphia YIMBY presents our custom animation of the Philadelphia skyline rising between the years 1985 and 1990, when Center City received some of its most iconic skyscrapers.

Philadelphia skyline 1905 and 1987 south elevation. Photo by Thomas Koloski

City Hall versus One Liberty Place: Philadelphia YIMBY Compares Massing Renderings of the 1905 and the 1987 Skyline

7:30 am on July 22, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

The 20th Century was a key period for development in Philadelphia, with numerous remarkable structures built in the 100-year time period. At the very start of the century, City Hall was finishing construction in the heart of the city, with the William Penn Statue was topped on the structure six years beforehand. The 548-foot masonry structure was completed in 1901. Flashing forward to 1987, an even more massive monolith was finishing construction: One Liberty Place in Center City, which stands 945 feet tall. Philadelphia YIMBY compares the time periods when the two giants dominated the skyline fresh upon completion.

Philadelphia 2020 and future south elevation. Models and image by Thomas Koloski

Philadelphia YIMBY Compares Massing Renderings of the 2020 and the 2025 Skyline

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

The Philadelphia skyline has generally maintained its aesthetically appealing, iconic look at least since its major outward and upward expansion in the 1980s. High-rise buildings stack up gradually to the tallest skyscraper in the city, the Comcast Technology Center, which, at 1,121 feet tall, is Philadelphia’s first supertall. A number of other large skyscrapers also rose during the recent construction boom. In the next four years and beyond, Center City and the surrounding neighborhoods will gain yet more tall high-rise buildings. In this feature, Philadelphia YIMBY compares the 2020 skyline to how it will likely look in 2025.

Philadelphia skyline 1969. Photo and edit by Thomas Koloski

YIMBY Presents Mockup Time Lapse of the Philadelphia Skyline from 1901 to 2020

8:00 am on July 11, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

YIMBY has presented extensive coverage on the development of the Philadelphia skyline over the decades. In its early years, church steeples, factory chimneys, and shot towers dominated the skyline, rising above numerous low-rise buildings. Office towers began to rise in the early twentieth century, as businesses flocked to Center City, and proliferated more rapidly in the following decades, particularly in the past 40 years. Today we present an animated rendering of the skyline, showing how the mass of skyscrapers had risen from 1901 to 2020. Each frame shows the towers under their current construction status for the year depicted.

Philadelphia 1905 and 2020 south elevation. Photo by Thomas Koloski

YIMBY Presents a Massing Animation of the Philadelphia Skyline from 1905 to 2020

8:00 am on July 9, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Over the past few months, YIMBY has published multiple features on how the Philadelphia skyline grew over the years via custom-made three dimensional projections. In the past decade, numerous buildings have risen around Center City and beyond. Most of these have been constructed near City Hall and along Market Street, close to the main skyline core. Today we present animations of how the city skyline grew in a 115-year time span from 1905 to 2020.

113-121 South 19th Street looking north. Models and image by Thomas Koloski

Philadelphia YIMBY Presents Updated Massing Renderings for 113-121 South 19th Street in Rittenhouse Square, Center City

8:00 am on July 4, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Philadelphia YIMBY recently announced the filing of new permits for 113-121 South 19th Street in Rittenhouse Square, Center City, which appear to give a height bump for the structure. Designed by DAS Architecture and Planning, the 215-unit building is now planned to rise 57 stories, meaning that its height may reach over 600 feet. The slender tower is an unusual proposal for the city due to its smaller-than-average floor plates. The project is developed by Pearl Properties, which has also built The Harper, a high-rise residential building that opened in 2019 a block away. Today we present exclusive massing renderings that show the potential effect the building may have on the skyline.

Schuylkill Yards massing aerial looking northwest. Original image by Google Earth, edit and model by Thomas Koloski

Philly YIMBY Presents Up-To-Date Massing Renderings of Schuylkill Yards in University City, West Philadelphia

7:30 am on June 25, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

In West Philadelphia, a major project is bound to change University City in a dramatic way. Developed by developed by Brandywine Realty Trust, Schuylkill Yards includes one building that has already been completed, with the rest in the beginning stages of construction or site preparation. The project, located next to 30th Street Station, has a master plan with multiple buildings, though only four have had their final designs released to the public. The completed Bulletin Building renovation, the 512-foot-tall and 3001 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, and the the 361-foot-tall 3025 John F. Kennedy Boulevard were designed by the Practice for Architecture and Urbanism, while the 226-foot-tall 3151 Market Street was designed by SHoP Architects. The below massing renderings were designed by Philly YIMBY to illustrate the impact of the buildings on the future skyline.

Philadelphia YIMBY Compares Massing Renderings Of The 1905 And The 2020 Skyline

7:30 am on June 22, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

The Philadelphia skyline itself had started in the heart of the city, with the Christ Church in Old City standing as the tallest structure in the city during the Revolutionary era. Though some tall structures have risen at an early date, such as the 143 foot tall Sparks Shot Tower at 129-131 Carpenter Street, which was in operation from 1808 to 1903, the skyline has dramatically transformed in the 1900s. Today Philadelphia YIMBY compares the skylines of 1905 and 2020 via massing renderings.

Philadelphia skyline 1905 looking southwest. Photo by Thomas Koloski

Philadelphia YIMBY Presents Massing Renderings of the 1905 Skyline

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

In the early 1900s, construction has just finished at Philadelphia City Hall (completed in 1901), with the clock tower dominating Center City. The skyline was not yet filled with massive towers. Instead, low- and mid-rise buildings made up the urban landscape. At the time, the city was growing rapidly, and a new generation of notable buildings was completed by the turn of the 20th century, including City Hall and the Masonic Temple. Today Philly YIMBY presents massing renderings of the Philadelphia skyline as it appeared all the way back in 1905.

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