CDR Submission - 20 floors - office space/apartments/retail

https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...5a&oe=579B1175

https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...e5&oe=57D3E037

https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...04&oe=579B1782

https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...20&oe=579B8BB4

https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...43&oe=57CFD4F1

https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...7f&oe=579C0191

http://www.phila.gov/CityPlanning/pr...%20package.pdf

I can't see why not. This location is poised to pop as West Market and University City continue to develop. They can get their own building, maybe as sole tenant, and negotiate a longterm lease at a good price before the area really takes off. I don't see how there are any operational business advantages whatsoever to being in the current location. The most that can be said for it is that there are underground connections so employees don't have to go out in the rain.

How is this building a rectangle box? If anything it's a dozen rectangular boxes of varying sizes all assembled together. The building is filled with cut outs and set backs and all manner of techniques to keep this looking anything like a rectangular box.

Also, since when are rectangular buildings the greatest crime architecture can commit? I feel like I've been hearing this criticism again and again lately. Especially in regards to One Riverside, as though the building might as well sink into the Schuylkill and kill itself for daring to have 4 sides meeting each other at right angles.

I just don't get. Most buildings are rectangles for entirely practical reasons, while it is interesting to have oddly shaped buildings and it adds diversity and contrast to a cityscape, a city filled with oddly shaped buildings would be ridiculous and totally inefficient.

The hope is that a building is not boring or bland and while making a building look like a pickle is certainly one way to ensure a building doesn't look boring, there are still plenty of ways for even the most rectangular of buildings to look interesting. I think both this development and One Riverside are excellent looking buildings that aren't boring.

I think the architects did a great job here. Really cool and unique building, tons of outdoor space.

With football field size floor plates, too, which is probably a huge advantage.

A DiBruno Bros or Carlinos Market type place would be a perfect fit in the retail space facing Market St and the river.

This is a more interesting building than many of the existing high rises on Market Street. It's not a better location however. There is still nothing to see east of this building and it's not adjacent to or connected to a subway or rail station. You've got a 10min walk from the SEPTA rail station at 30th and a longer walk from Suburban. The closest trolley stop is 22nd and I doubt many of their employees ever take the subway or trolley. Aramark building has better transit connections, is next reading terminal and is across the street from the under construction East Market development. Also close to chinatown and a host of restaurants on 13th St, Walnut st, etc. There is a big difference in the retail/restaurant density near 11th and Market vs 24th and Market. But we shall see. The on site amenities at this building are obviously going to be crucial to attracting tenants.

It's a big, rectangle box....which is what makes it so. I don't hate it, I actually think it's kind of interesting, I think it's the fact that it is wider than it is tall in this particular location that bothers me. It really is a giant wall. I'm a big supporter of One Riverside by the way.

To each their own, I just think it looks out of place.

I agree. It's kind of meh for me. I'll reiterate my earlier suggestion which PMC obviously has ignored. They should have designed it as a step-like building similar to Dockside or this neat building in Brooklyn, which would have allowed for a taller building without walling off Center City from the river. Of course, this would have required PMC to be creative...

What I'd like to know however, is what they plan on doing on the southside of the building along 24th Street. It has a lot of potential for a restaurant/bar with outdoor seating.

Yeah, they had a chance to give us something to be impressed by. A taller, leaner tower or the step building you posted would have been great.

This is the view we are giving up:

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9533...7i13312!8i6656

vs. the new view we are going to have:

https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...04&oe=579B1782

The cityscape is completely covered by this beast.

It's a city, whenever we lose some views, new views are created. This thing is hardly a behemoth, and it's great that we're getting new office, retail, and apartments on the river. I love this project now.

I'll agree with that.

This is the Kennedy House, The Sterling and Penn Center House of the Schuylkill River.

would be cool if they had a little boat dock in front of it.

Urbanthusiat, yes x1000... When market west starts filling in more we won't notice or care about this building "blocking" the views.

I get it that alot of people for one reason or another like this plan. My question to you is if the top 12 floors were squeezed, and we ended up with a tower or 25 or so stories tall on top of the office floors, but only half as wide as the present plan, would you like that possible building more or less then what alot of us are calling an unfortunate box that walls off the city from the river? I realize this a interesting box where a tower would probably be just yet again a boring glass (vertical) box. But I'm trying to sort out how many people like this present plan just because its better then whats there now, or do some people like it because they think this really is close to being the best building possible for this site----given the conditions the owners are working with?
Thanks

I'm ok with it being a wall if it's not ugly. The top portion of this is still ugly.

I've really come around to liking this plan for the site. Obviously, it doesn't completely fit with our presumably shared interest in tall buildings, but now that I see that they've clearly put a lot of thought and creativity into developing this design, I'm enthusiastic about it, not just happy with density/the fact that something is being built. Also, for all the aesthetic downsides of large floorplate designs, it really does offer tenants a lot of advantages, and this really needs to be considered in terms of evaluating whether it's a good use for the site. I think the presence of this building will also promote further development of this part of Market West. Once Brandywine starts on the 500-footer a couple blocks away, there will no longer be any doubt that this area is the next prime location for high-density mixed use development in the city.

I also dislike the top portion. I'd like to see it skinned/clad the same as the bottom portion before the large glass floors. I think that would look pretty good. Still the 'wall' issue, but I don't see PMC actually building a tower, hollowing out the middle, or otherwise addressing that in any way.

The "wall issue" - That really my biggest gripe concerning this project, with which I'm otherwise OK. If the upper floors are residential, it would've been nice if they could've done an office podium allowing for the big floor plates, but gone more slender above for the residences (which would be better served by smaller floor plates). Armchair quarterbacking is easy, however.