Good eye. I wonder about that too. Unique feature to the building for sure!

Monolith?

Apologies, still waking up at work.
I meant monstrosity.

Most of you probably know this, but that is the entire steel truss that supported the front of the balcony in the Boyd auditorium.

It's sort of like killing a beautiful animal and mounting its head on your wall.

I think it's more like buying an armoire and trying to get it home in the trunk of your Jetta.

If I had a dollar for every time boxbot made me giggle I would have enough dollars to build SLS.

Hum. The render that incorporates the truss looks good to me...

http:////c1.staticflickr.com/2/1850/...a029bd37_b.jpg

http:////c1.staticflickr.com/2/1883/...a7eb6f4d_c.jpg

http:////c1.staticflickr.com/2/1851/...7dbd3ac7_c.jpg

I can't tell if I like the paneling on this one. Might need to see how it looks with windows installed.

While it doesn't really mitigate my sadness at the loss of the Boyd, I've been pretty excited about the truss. I think it's a beautiful thing and serves to elevate the collaborative work of the Boyd's architects, engineers and ironworkers to a true sculptural work of art, and makes for a wonderful tribute to those who built our city.

Interestingly the new structure includes 4 new trusses of somewhat similar shape on the second level, directly under the tower portion. I wonder whether they too might be exposed, although not visible from outside, in the finished project.

Update from Building Philly:
https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net...f8&oe=5C1CD936
https://www.facebook.com/BuildingPhilly/

Good point about in some small way honoring the history of the Boyd. I'd say it's doubtful that the new trusses will be exposed, as all structural steel elements need to be fireproofed, which is not a good look.

You think DAS's renderings on the preceding page are inaccurate? I think they are accurate.

Taken 9/22/2018:

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1964/3...9f4aef5a_c.jpg

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1932/3...4aa31f9d_c.jpg

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1939/3...83db1bac_c.jpg

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1953/3...c405ce56_c.jpg

[QUOTE=PhillyEngineer;8323549]Taken 9/22/2018:

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1964/3...9f4aef5a_c.jpg

Great update. I especially like the contrast that this photo shows from the cladding and the shot up the block.

I think the truss in the photos will be exposed just as shown. It's purely decorative and non-structural. My comment about covering (fire proofing) trusses was directed to Jayfar's question, above at #1031, about new structural trusses at the base of the under construction tower. A photo in post #893 shows these new trusses fairly well

Thanks for pointing out the photo #893. Also one in #883. I've pulled them up below. And I'm sure you're right about the fireproofing.

The placement of the 4 new trusses is interesting to me, but I'm sure they make sense to the structural engineers – one each is at the west and east periphery of the tower, the remaining two are placed relatively close to each other straddling the centerline of the tower.

https://i.imgur.com/spcrT4j.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Ps1lIax.jpg

This one looks nice and tall from the latest pics