The steel structure has topped out at One uCity Square at 3401 Market Street, located in the heart of the uCity Square mega-project in University City, West Philadelphia. Designed by ZGF Architects and developed by Ventas Inc., the building, which now rises to its final height of 250 feet and 13 stories, is notable for its Jenga-like massing at its southeast corner.
The structural frame continues to rise and cladding installation has started at 2222 Market Street in Center City West. The building will stand 318 feet and 20 stories high, and provide a significant amount of office space as it will take up nearly the entire block. The structure was designed by Gensler and developed by Parkway Commercial Properties, which previously owned the parking lot that had spanned the tower’s entire future footprint.
Since 1987, the Philadelphia skyline has expanded both horizontally and vertically, as the city has received a new tallest skyscraper along with multiple towers rising higher than 500 feet. However, over 30 years ago, the skyline was already suggesting what was coming in the future, as skyscrapers were finally rising above the 548-foot mark set by City Hall in Center City. In this feature, Philadelphia YIMBY will look back at the skyline by observing photographs from 1987.
Since 1987, when the unofficial “Gentlemen’s Agreement” that advised against building taller than City Hall was eliminated, multiple high-rises that stand well over 500 feet tall have dramatically changed the profile of Center City. The Comcast Technology Center had first joined the skyline at the very end of 2015, and now makes an incredible impact with its height of 1,121 feet and 60 stories as the tallest skyscraper in the city. Designed by Foster and Partners and developed by Liberty Property Trust, the building stands at 1800 Arch Street and houses Comcast corporate offices along with a Four Seasons hotel. In this publication, Philadelphia YIMBY looks back at the Comcast Technology Center before it topped out.
The Liberty Place development in Center City holds a pivotal place in the Philadelphia skyline, having made a gigantic impact on the and the city’s image and its profile as a business hub. A pointed spire tops the tallest tower, the 945-foot-tall One Liberty Place at 1650 Market Street, outfitted with broadcasting equipment. The complex was designed by Helmut Jahn of Murphy/Jahn and developed by Rouse and Associates. In this feature, Philadelphia YIMBY shares images of One Liberty Place from the day the spire had topped out.
