[vandelay]

This new tower, as a foil for the Comcast tower, shows how elegant the original one is. The surfaces and different facade treatments give a soaring and refined impression. In contrast this new tower is a bit bulky, slab-sided, and industrial. They tried to mitigate that with the spire, but that gives it a lopsided appearance. As the Philly skyline exists now, CC, and the Liberty Place towers create a picturesque grouping.

The skyscraper group might look better in context with the spire on the opposite side of the building (or even the center of the building, like the old Hancock building in Boston, but that undermines the pure structural logic of the building. I'd love to see photoshops of those alternative spires. I'd bet either one would look better. But whatever happens, I'm sure this tower is a huge asset for Philadelphia.