Pavilion and surrounding hospital buildings. Photo by Thomas Koloski

Exterior Nearly Complete at Pavilion at 300 South 33rd Street in University City, West Philadelphia

Façade work is nearly complete at the Pavilion, a medical building at 300 South 33rd Street in University City. With 1.5 million square feet of interior space, the Pavilion is one of the largest structures in West Philadelphia. The structure rises 343 feet and 17 stories as one of the tallest buildings of Penn Medicine, which is the project developer. The building was designed by the renown architects Foster + Partners, which has done several notable buildings around the world, such as the Gherkin in London, the Hearst Tower in New York City, and the Comcast Technology Center in Philadelphia. The structure replaces an older Penn Medicine building, a high-rise called Penn Tower.

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City Tower model and schematics. Images via Louis I. Kahn

A Look at the Unbuilt City Tower by Louis Kahn in Center City

In the 1950s, Philadelphia was starting to see a rise in new  development as developers focused on Center City, particularly after the demolition of the “Chinese Wall” opened up a large swath of space from City Hall to the Schuylkill River. A wild proposal called the City Tower was revealed in the late 1950s at 1400 Arch Street, where the Philadelphia Municipal Services Building currently stands. The 30-story tower would have stood just to the north of City Hall. The tower was designed by Louis I. Kahn in a dramatic Futurist style, as the building’s design and form were way ahead of its time.

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3.0 University Place at 4101-23 Market Street. Rendering credit: The Steward Partnership

Site Prep Underway at 3.0 University Place in University City, West Philadelphia

Site preparation is now underway at 3.0 University Place, a mixed-use development 4101-23 Market Street in University CityWest Philadelphia. Upon completion, the building will rise eight stories tall. Retail and commercial space will be situated on the ground floor, with office and lab space located on the upper floors. The building will also include a green roof. In total, 274,294 square feet of space will be located within the structure.

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2118-20 Fitzwater Street. Looking southeast, July 2019. Credit: Google

Permits Issued for Four-Unit Building at 2118-20 Fitzwater Street in Graduate Hospital, South Philadelphia

A permit has been issued for the construction of a three-story, four-unit residential building at 2118-20-Fitzwater-Street in Graduate Hospital, South Philadelphia. Located on the south side of the block between South 21st Street and South 22nd Street, the structure will rise from a 1,091-square-foot footprint and will contain 3,550 square feet of interior space, lending an average of 888 square feet per unit. Permits list Genece E. Brinkley as the owner, Scott Woodruff as the architect, and Chris Steinbiss as the contractor. Construction is expected to cost $400,000.

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CHOP Hub for Clinical Collaboration rendering via Perkins + Will

CHOP Hub For Clinical Collaboration Receives Cladding in University City, West Philadelphia

Glass and stone cladding is being installed at the CHOP Hub for Clinical Collaboration at 3501 Civic Center Boulevard in University City, West Philadelphia. The tower is about to reach its full height of 377 feet and 19 stories. Designed by Perkins+Will, the structure will feature over 550,000 square feet of floor space. The project is being developed by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, which is developing a $4 billion master plan that the Hub for Clinical Collaboration is a part of.

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