Skyline massing

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.

Philadelphia 1945 and 2020 south elevation. Model and image by Thomas Koloski

Philadelphia YIMBY Compares Massing Renderings of the 1945 and the 2020 Skyline

7:00 am on May 29, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

In the mid-1940s, the Philadelphia skyline still maintained the general look it received during the construction boom of the 1920s and 1930, when several new towers added significant mass to the Center City skyline. The Philadelphia City Hall still topped the skyline at 548 feet tall, but by the 40s more high-rises were nearing the top of the clock tower, with several rising in the 300-foot range. A number of Art Deco buildings stood out, with predominantly light and dark brown shades. Today Philly YIMBY compares massing renderings of the 1945 skyline and the 2020 skyline.

Twin Independence Blue Cross Towers. Photo and edit by Thomas Koloski

Philadelphia YIMBY Presents Renderings of the Once-Proposed Twin Independence Blue Cross Towers

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

In February, Philly YIMBY published an examination of the Twin Independence Blue Cross Tower proposal that was planned in the mid-1980s. The Independence Blue Cross Tower were designed by WZMH Architects, who also designed the CN Tower in Toronto, Canda. The developer, The Linpro Company, intended to build two 45-story towers on the 1900 block of Market Street. Each would have stood 625 feet tall, located 1901 Market Street and 1919 Market Street in Center City. If built as a twin pair, they would have stood next to the 565-foot Commerce Square towers, another pair of twin high-rises.

Philadelphia 1925 south elevation. Model and image by Thomas Koloski

Philadelphia YIMBY Presents Massing Renderings of the 1925 Skyline

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

During the 1920s, “the Roaring Twenties,” the nation saw a major economic boom that lasted nearly a decade, until it came crashing down in the 1930s with the Great Depression. Major cities were vibrant and illuminated, with ballrooms and theaters spreading around cities. The growth also positively affected the skylines of American cities, including that of Philadelphia, which saw the construction of multiple office buildings in Center City, mostly around Broad Street and Market Street.

Philadelphia 1965 and 2020 south elevation. Model and image by Thomas Koloski

Philadelphia YIMBY Compares Massing Renderings of the 1965 and the 2020 Skyline

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

In the 1960s, the Philadelphia skyline was on the verge of transformation as several massive towers were proposed at the end of the decade. In the mid-1960s, City Hall, topped by the William Penn Statue, ranking as the tallest building, with most other tall towers clustering in the vicinity. Over the next few decades, the Center City skyline has extended greatly to the east and west, with many dominant modern office towers surpassing City Hall. Today Philly YIMBY looks back and compares the skyline from 1965 skyline to its current form.

Future Philadelphia skyline south elevation. Models and image by Thomas Koloski

Philadelphia YIMBY Presents Updated Massings Of The Philadelphia Skyline In The Next Decade

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

In October of last year, Philadelphia YIMBY published an extensive article covering developments that are under construction and proposed across the city. The visuals illustrated the future of the city’s skyline, coordinated in height in terms of placement of the new projects. Since, several new proposals have been revealed, a number of which will have an impact on the skyline. Today we present an updated version of the future appearance of the Philadelphia skyline.

Pages: 123456789101112131415

Fetching more...

Skyline massing

What’s happening in your backyard?