PHILADELPHIA | Avira at Schuylkill Yards | 361 FT | 28 FLOORS

[Londonee]

Originally Posted by SEFTA

I remember a proposal that actually covered the rails at 30th street but this is good

Does this building not come to the corner of 30th/JFK? Your massings seem to have it almost mid-block?

I agree with the posters who worry about a bit of a deadzone effect here with all of these public spaces but a dearth of street facing retail.

[mcgrath618]

Originally Posted by Londonee

Does this building not come to the corner of 30th/JFK? Your massings seem to have it almost mid-block?

I agree with the posters who worry about a bit of a deadzone effect here with all of these public spaces but a dearth of street facing retail.

You needn’t worry. As per the article, there will be plenty of ground floor front-facing retail.

The lot over the tracks is owned by Amtrak and is the future site of Cira II.

[City Wide]

Originally Posted by Londonee

Does this building not come to the corner of 30th/JFK? Your massings seem to have it almost mid-block?

I agree with the posters who worry about a bit of a deadzone effect here with all of these public spaces but a dearth of street facing retail.

The corner you're talking about is actual air space over tracks. Amtrak last year put out a request for development then later they changed that to a request for someone to think about what might be able to be built in that spot. And I think that was the last anything was said. One way of looking at it is that lot falls with the border of the 30th St. Station proposed development (proposed is being very generous since there are new proposals every 10-15 years) and not part of Schuylkill Yards. But having said that I'm alittle surprised that Brandywine didn't try to include that lot into this project (maybe they did, who knows!) because doing so, even if it were just a 3 or 4 story extension of the tower, would have made for a much more logical use of the space and better framed the new park and the Station. Logic and having to deal with bottom line facts don't always go hand in hand.

This building is surprising good on paper, and I hope that it doesn't get changed too much in the detailing of it. It does seem odd to me that the architect of record is passing off the actual 'get it built' design work to another frim------I hope that this second firm has fully bought in on the design as its been presented to date.

[volguus zildrohar]

Originally Posted by mcgrath618

Some awesome skyline shots courtesy of Brandywine Reality Trust:

Caneris and Towers won't be able to boast about Center City views after these are done.

[mcgrath618]

Originally Posted by volguus zildrohar

Caneris and Towers won't be able to boast about Center City views after these are done.

Not that I got that anyways. I was on the West Philly side of Towers

[mcgrath618]

Forgive me if I’m wrong, but do I spot a little viewing platform for the trains at 30th in this plan?

Originally Posted by mcgrath618

[volguus zildrohar]

Originally Posted by mcgrath618

Forgive me if I’m wrong, but do I spot a little viewing platform for the trains at 30th in this plan?

Potentially.

It wouldn't be a bad idea for some type of connector to be built to 30th Street. Be it a more expansive version of the connector to Cira Centre or something off of the underground concourse proposed to connect the building to the MFL/SST station. The project seems to abut the RR platforms but at the disused western end.

[SEFTA]

Originally Posted by Londonee

Does this building not come to the corner of 30th/JFK? Your massings seem to have it almost mid-block?

I agree with the posters who worry about a bit of a deadzone effect here with all of these public spaces but a dearth of street facing retail.

My guess is no

3003 JFK Blvd 4 by

[Human Scale]

Originally Posted by mcgrath618

Wawa’s location scouts:

[jsbrook]

I wish the little area next to Big Red, directly across JFK from the Bulletin Building Park, was getting paved over. Eventually...in the 30th Street District plan, is that plot a park or another tower?

[mcgrath618]

Originally Posted by jsbrook

I wish the little area next to Big Red, directly across JFK from the Bulletin Building Park, was getting paved over. Eventually...in the 30th Street District plan, is that plot a park or another tower?

For the third time, the plot is owned by Amtrak and is the future site of Cira II.

[jsbrook]

Originally Posted by mcgrath618

For the third time, the plot is owned by Amtrak and is the future site of Cira II.

Ha. Good. Sorry. I've been busy. I haven't read all the different threads in full...

[Urbanthusiat]

I love the arches in both buildings - reminds me of Reading Terminal a bit and the old Snellenburg building at Market East. RE the retail - I'm glad that they're including it but I'm somewhat concerned about its viability at this spot right now. Very few people walk up JFK like that as it doesn't really go anywhere. It'll be facing a (blank?) side of the new Sparks building, which will draw much of the attention. With the Amtrak parcel in the way and facing Drexel Square, I'm afraid the retail won't be very visible. I do love the concept they have under the highline though, so maybe that will draw people in. All in all I see this as a huge win for Brandywine and Schuylkill Yards.

[blorkishdork]

I imagine the retail that goes into these new locations will be to serve the office workers of the nearby buildings. So I would imagine that these retail areas won't be too badly affected. Even if they won't get filled right-away, more offices and apartments will come to help create the demand. One thing this area needs and I am not sure if it is apart of the project scope, is to extend JFK to 32nd street (north of the university crossings? building). that would allow pedestrians to more easily access the retail and the train station from Ucity Square.

*Edit: Looks like it is part of the plan to extend JFK to 32nd so that would help out the connectivity of the area greatly.

[SEFTA]

This looks great!
Think of what this looked like 10 years ago

Originally Posted by mcgrath618

Some awesome skyline shots courtesy of Brandywine Reality Trust:

[SEFTA]

Something that really intrigues me is the grand staircase rising from the East Plaza at SE corner of the development. Where are these stairs leading to? There are escalators. They must be anticipating this as being very busy.
Very exciting!

Originally Posted by mcgrath618

[dreadnought]

New poster here. I commented in the other thread that the color of 3001 was the least of its problem. It's too boxy, top-heavy, and overbearing. It could be much more graceful.
But as I look at both buildings, I think there is also an opportunity missed here. They could join both buildings above the railroad tracks and make the two sites more cohesive. That would make the tracks less of a border, and more of just a feature of the site.
Just a thought.

[SEFTA]

I think that if they had combined the site above the rails it would have been much more beneficial for the immediate area. This lot is the linchpin between Schuylkill Yards and 30th Street District. It leaves those rails exposed and a small, less desirable lot.
I like the red. I especially like the idea of terracotta as a material. I find the boxiness as a current trend. Standing adjacent to it, the top heavyness seems almost a response to Cira's shape.

[mcgrath618]

Originally Posted by SEFTA

I think that if they had combined the site above the rails it would have been much more beneficial for the immediate area. This lot is the linchpin between Schuylkill Yards and 30th Street District. It leaves those rails exposed and a small, less desirable lot.
I like the red. I especially like the idea of terracotta as a material. I find the boxiness as a current trend. Standing adjacent to it, the top heavyness seems almost a response to Cira's shape.

Dreadnaught meant joining the buildings over the high line, not the Cira II lot

[SEFTA]

aahh
I like the shared space between the buildings