Office

Mellon Bank Center crown. Photo by Thomas Koloski

A Look at the BNY Mellon Center at 1735 Market Street in Center City

By Thomas Koloski

The Center City skyline had drastically changed in the late 1980s with the construction of newly approved skyscrapers standing over the former, informal 548-foot height limit established by City Hall. In late 1990, Mellon Bank Center, located at 1735 Market Street in Center City, joined the skyline with its bright materials alongside the other new, amazingly designed skyscrapers. The tower stands 54 stories above the ground with a total height of 824 feet to the tip of the crown and a roof height of 792 feet. The skyscraper was designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox, which is currently constructing Arthaus a few blocks to the south of City Hall. The tower is owned by Silverstein Properties, which also owns the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan. The building received a name change for a branding initiative, and is now called the BNY Mellon Center.

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Bell Atlantic Tower from Logan Square. Photo by Thomas Koloski

A Look At Three Logan Square in Logan Square, Center City

By Thomas Koloski

The construction boom of the 1980s brought a new generation of skyscrapers, many of which still make up the principal mass of the Philadelphia skyline. One of these skyscrapers is the Bell Atlantic Tower at 1717 Arch Street, now known as Three Logan Square. Designed by designed by Kling Lindquist, the building stands at an imposing height of 739 feet and 55 stories. The all-steel structure was constructed by Turner Construction. The skyscraper, located in the Logan Square neighborhood of Center City, has a notable presence both during day and night, as the cladding features an eye-catching mix of colors as well as incredible nighttime lighting.

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Looking At The Future Of Lehigh’s Campus In Bethlehem, PA

By Colin LeStourgeon

In spring of 2021, Singleton, Hitch, and Maida Houses finished construction on the side of South Mountain, the latest of many new developments transforming the Lehigh University Campus in Bethlehem, PA. The development consists of three new residential college houses centered around a small park with outdoor seating and garden space. The development adds 720 beds to the campus, providing accommodations for student residences just steps away from the center of the campus. In recent years, Lehigh has embarked on large transformation development, filling in underused locations at the campus as well as expanding its overall footprint.

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Bell Atlantic Tower. Photo by Thomas Koloski

A Look At Past Designs for the Bell Atlantic Tower in Logan Square, Center City

By Thomas Koloski

In the 1980s, new skyscraper proposals surged after the proposed Liberty Place project was poised to break the 548-foot height limit established by the tower of City Hall. Five of the proposals now stand in the skyline, which include the 739-foot-tall Bell Atlantic Tower at 1717 Arch Street in Logan Square, Center City. Designed by Kling Lindquist, the setbacks of the 55-story skyscraper were partially inspired by structures such as the Empire State Building and One Liberty Place, which itself is similar to the Chrysler Building. Brandywine Realty Trust has owned the skyscraper since 2010, and is now officially known as Three Logan Square. Today Philly YIMBY looks at the alternate designs that were once considered for the structure.

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Observing The Comcast Technology Center Shortly After Topping Out

By Thomas Koloski

Over the past 40 years, Center City has become home to multiple structures over the height of 500 feet. Philadelphia City Hall was the tallest structure in Philadelphia from 1894 to 1986 at 548, then in 1987 the steel structure of One-Liberty-Place eventually passed the statue to soon top out its spire at 945 feet. The same developers of Liberty Place also developed the next tallest skyscraper in the city, the 974-foot Comcast Center from 2007 to 2017. In 2017, across the street to the west, the Comcast Technology Center became the tallest skyscraper in the city since 2017 and its first supertall skyscraper at 1,121 feet. For this development, Comcast had partnered with Liberty Property Trust, which was originally known as Rouse and Associates. The tower was designed by Foster and Partners, which has designed iconic structures such as the Gherkin in London and the Hearst Tower in Midtown Manhattan. Today Philly YIMBY looks back at the period when the iconic tower’s spire topped out.

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