Yes, it is. And this idealized rendering makes me particularly nervous with THIS developer. Here were the renderings for 1900 Arch. Much different and better. The foliage, but much beyond it too.

http://www.phillymag.com/property/20...t/#gallery-2-1

This rendering reminds me a lot of the Radian aparment building right off Penn's campus, but taller and maybe even cooler. I'm not a big fan of the sideways orientation, but it's still a LOT better than what's there now. Putting slimmer towers on one or both ends would be much more aesthetically pleasing, however. I'm not too torn up about lost views (though I bet Brandywine isn't thrilled with the design) - a good city is made at street level.

2/17/16

Interior demo clearly underway

https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...a0&oe=576248D1

https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...62&oe=576A0909

Great point. Regardless of the design...is this really in the city's best interest to have this monolithic 300ft wall right on the river in this location? Breaking this up into 1-2 more slender towers will preserve skyline sight-lines from University City.

Thinking about it from a pedestrian standpoint, if you are walking along Chestnut street or points south on the western side of the Schuylkill - you won't see any of the core CC skyline cluster...just this...huge wall building. That's just not a good thing.

Will this height screw up Cira Green's new amazing view??

Go back a page for your answer.

I agree with Londonee.

Forgive the utter crudeness. For reference - 2400 Chestnut is 337' - this building is 305'. So i went down a few stories and then over.

http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/...7_c%20copy.jpg

From Tall Cool One's photo.

And just for fun...if you took that exact same massing, divided it in half and put it vertical:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/..._c%20copy2.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/DljLKOo.jpg

"Cira Green will continue to offer the city's best views of 2400 Chestnut." - Brandywine Property Management

Nice, Londee. Or better yet, just have a tall slender tower on the market street side and make the current top of the building a giant outdoor deck. I wonder if such a plan is feasible with the foundation and how much it would cost.

The new view from an Evo apartment would be interesting:

http://i.imgur.com/0yaH8aN.jpg?1

^^Nicely played, I in fact have that frame blown up poster size, framed and mounted in my house.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/438/2...a2c0265d_h.jpg

Something like the pyramid would be nice in this location. You can have size and preserve views. The footprint can also support one of decent size.

PS Sorry for the size of pic, don't know how to resize.

I like how some of us our worried about the view of the city from one single vantage point... Walk one block either direction and it won't be a problem. Also lets just build taller buildings behind it?

I had the exact same thought. This is the gateway to Center City. Make a statement. Go nuts.*


*This is not a builder looking to make a statement or go nuts.

I don't think something shouldn't be built just because it would block the view of something else. That's ridiculous.

Personally, I don't think it should be built as currently designed because it's an ugly sideways behemoth of a thing. The earlier renders at least tapered a bit toward the top and seemed to offer some differences in texture. This is just a mess.

I'm normally about as pro-development as it gets. BUT I really hope this design changes. It's not only blocking views for Brandywine's properties (that's not the issue entirely), but the boardwalk/river trail feel (on the ground) will be horrendous. ... Staring at some giant, ugly ass, uninspired, blah rectangle that stretches hundreds of feet!

I too, immediately thought of the Ingels triangle building shown above in NYC. Philly deserves much, much better than the proposed Great Wall of the Schuylkill.

Take a look at this shot and then imagine it extending upward for another 20 stories. It's as brutalist as Kennedy House in a much more high profile location.

https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...a0&oe=576248D1

If they're going to keep the east-west orientation, I'd like to see something triangular - not like the pyramid in Flyers post but something similar to Dockside.

And I agree with Summers - you don't kill a project to protect views; what are we Kennedy House residents??? BUT I think I can speak for everyone else that the blocking of views is a negative but not the primary reason for demanding a better design and different orientation. Wide buildings are not attractive and in this location especially, the city should demand something that doesn't wall off Center City from the river the way that 2400 Chestnut does.

I don't even care so much about the design or materials as much the tower's orientation. Plus, asking PMC to go slender will likely result in a taller building.

2400 Market
 

Can anyone tell me if the crummy building to the left-facing of 2400 Market is slated to be demoed and part of the redesign? That thing is, and has been, a hot mess for years. After several notices of violation, they have responded by changing the front door to a sagging plywood panel. Please make that building be gone.