PHILADELPHIA | Highrise Development Thread IX

[Pennsgrant]

Originally Posted by Philly Fan

They've already budgeted $1.2 billion. What's a few tens or hundreds of millions more?

What Late 1 has presented ? Would probably be 'Hundreds of Millions" which is why it would never happen.


I like the addition of a second setback as it allows the tower to flow and blend into the sky. A cheaper possible option is to simply incorporate a second setback into the current height of 975'/1121'.

[Philly Fan]

Originally Posted by acenturi

Your proposal appears to provide that and at the same time makes the structure appear more symmetric and more visually striking. Absolutely send that in to Roberts/Foster.

Definitely a groundswell developing here. The collective voice of SkyscraperPage must be heard!

[Philly Fan]

Originally Posted by Pennsgrant

What Late 1 has presented ? Would probably be 'Hundreds of Millions" which is why it would never happen.

Why hundreds of millions? The entire cost of the Comcast Center was $540 million, and costs haven't risen that much in the last few years (especially with the ensuing Great Recession). As I've said, they've already budgeted $1.2 billion for this thing, and we're only talking about adding an additional 125 or so feet of height, but with less square footage for many of the upper floors with the additional setback. Of course, we don't know how that would affect the Four Seasons and restaurant plans, but I'm sure they could be adjusted to accommodate a few extra floors with less square footage (and possibly a 2-story restaurant). Easy for me to say.

[Pennsgrant]

Originally Posted by Philly Fan

As I've said, they've already budgeted $1.2 billion for this thing, and we're only talking about adding an additional 125 or so feet of height, but with less square footage for many of the upper floors with the additional setback.

I would think mainly due to the extreme height. My guess is that its significantly more costly to build at extreme heights but I have no first hand knowledge of that.

[iheartphilly]

Originally Posted by Pennsgrant

I would think mainly due to the extreme height. My guess is that its significantly more costly to build at extreme heights but I have no first hand knowledge of that.

Actually 900 million for the structure itself. The additional 300 million for the interior design to suit their productivity needs. IMO, one helluva activity cage.

[Philly Fan]

Originally Posted by Pennsgrant

I would think mainly due to the extreme height. My guess is that its significantly more costly to build at extreme heights but I have no first hand knowledge of that.

I would think that once you're at a roof height of 975', an additional 125' of height would be a relatively marginal cost, especially since we're talking about floors of less square footage with the second setback. But my knowledge is no better than yours.

[Koernerstr32]

All, I can understand the excitement, hoopla and all that jazz but why are some of you commenting on the proposed (not yet built, let alone no shovels in the ground) via 2 threads??? Come on, someone created the new Comcast thread but this Comcast tower is being discussed via 2 threads. Personally, I've been used to seeing 1 thread for a building (whether caisson drilling starts as Chicago prefers before starting an individual thread or as Philly prefers, start a thread before shovel hits the ground). Can't we stick this topic to 1 thread?

[theSisko]

The new Comcast tower would be just seven feet shy of the 1,128-foot John Hancock Tower in Chicago and nine feet taller than Moscow's Mercury City Tower, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.

Daniel Safarik, editor at the council, said the expense of building such towers is immense. Last year, of 73 buildings that were 200 meters or taller, just one was in the United States, the 750-feet tall Courtyard-Residence Inn Central Park in New York, which opened in December.

Safarik said the proposed Comcast tower is likely to hold onto to its title as tallest in the U.S. outside of New York and Chicago.

"It looks like Philly may hang onto that title," he said.








Great stuff!!!!!!

[japmes]

Originally Posted by acenturi

Although many current Supertalls have a Spire to achieve their advertised height (e.g., 1WTC at 1776), Philly's First Supertall deserves to achieve that distinction with a solid roof at the 1000+ Foot level. Your proposal appears to provide that and at the same time makes the structure appear more symmetric and more visually striking. Absolutely send that in to Roberts/Foster.

I agree. It looks more complete with the additional setback.

[Chriss]

Originally Posted by skyscraper

she had to get a little dig in at the end, didn't she.

Of course. Still, one of the most positive pieces from her that I can remember.

[Mappy]

Originally Posted by Late1

part of me can't help but wish they would have added another setback at the top to take the roof to nearly 1,100 feet - with the blade extending even higher. Something along the lines of this:



By the way, anyone else notice that the existing setback sort of mimics the way Comcast Center appears almost like a setback to Bell Atlantic Tower from the Art Museum view?

I noticed that Bell Atlantic + Comcast shape too, but I cant imagine it was purposeful.

Your additional setback is definitely an aesthetic improvement, but consider the volumes there. Its basically the width of the elevator shafts and 10+ stories high. The only way that might work is if they built 10+ floors of super high end penthouses stacked on top of each other. This goes against the public top floor lobby/bar/restaurant concept for the Four Seasons, and that was probably part of their agreement, and the only reason its a supertall to begin with.


...
I would be curious to see what it would look like if the hotel section was just carried up another 10+ floors, and the "blade" was elongated just slightly. (up for it Late1?) It that case all the occupancy could remain the same, but maybe slip some traditional style corporate offices (different from the 3-floor pod system) below the hotel which they could feasibly lease out or expand into later.

1121' + 100' office extension + 30' longer blade = 1' taller than the Empire State Building!

[Parkway]

As far as the Verizon building/ Comcast set back thing goes, it's Norman Foster, he doesn't do things by accident. Every single detail in this building is there on purpose.

[sayitaintso]

Originally Posted by acenturi

Although many current Supertalls have a Spire to achieve their advertised height (e.g., 1WTC at 1776), Philly's First Supertall deserves to achieve that distinction with a solid roof at the 1000+ Foot level. Your proposal appears to provide that and at the same time makes the structure appear more symmetric and more visually striking. Absolutely send that in to Roberts/Foster.

I believe that the technical definition of a supertall is > 300 meters. The roof of this bldg is 304 meters(1121-125=996Ft/3.28 ft/m=303.6m). The only people who care about the 1000ft mark are backward — Americans and their arcane measurement system.

[DBR96A]

Originally Posted by sayitaintso

I believe that the technical definition of a supertall is > 300 meters. The roof of this bldg is 304 meters(1121-125=996Ft/3.28 ft/m=303.6m). The only people who care about the 1000ft mark are backward — Americans and their arcane measurement system.

Well 1,000 is a nice, round number. If there's going to be a heat wave, the temperature might as well be 100° instead of 99°.

[phillyskyline]

Originally Posted by sayitaintso

I believe that the technical definition of a supertall is > 300 meters. The roof of this bldg is 304 meters(1121-125=996Ft/3.28 ft/m=303.6m). The only people who care about the 1000ft mark are backward — Americans and their arcane measurement system.

I did not know that, good info. I can't wAit to book a room at the new Four Seasons!

[adr8]

As we now look to the next big skyline addition, ESPN still hasn't incorporated the original Comcast Center into their coverage, using video shot from the art museum steps a decade ago for their lead-in to the MLS Draft in Philly yesterday (0:13).

http://espnfc.com/video/espnfc/video?id=1683127

[looper121]

Originally Posted by adr8

As we now look to the next big skyline addition, ESPN still hasn't incorporated the original Comcast Center into their coverage, using video shot from the art museum steps a decade ago for their lead-in to the MLS Draft in Philly yesterday (0:13).

http://espnfc.com/video/espnfc/video?id=1683127

Sheesh, I get that they are just using stock footage, but that's pretty lame. Murano of course is absent also.

[crackpinky]

Originally Posted by adr8

As we now look to the next big skyline addition, ESPN still hasn't incorporated the original Comcast Center into their coverage, using video shot from the art museum steps a decade ago for their lead-in to the MLS Draft in Philly yesterday (0:13).

http://espnfc.com/video/espnfc/video?id=1683127

Also, on Emporis their graphic doesn't show Comcast Center. That site — anyway

http://www.emporis.com/city/philadelphia-pa-usa

[PhiLaw]

I don't know what to think of this.

http://philly.curbed.com/archives/2014/0...-proposed-casino-fried-chicken-popup.php

[Jelly Roll]

Poptent: video production network opens Center City offices

Poptent, the six-year-old Conshocken crowdsourced video production network, opened a new office at Center City’s 2401 Walnut Street building.

Echoing other suburban tech companies that have opened offices in Center City in the last two years, Poptent hopes to tap into the city’s talent pool, said Poptent spokeswoman Liz Hanson.

The new 5,900 square foot office will host 27 members of Poptent’s staff of 46, Hanson said. The rest of Poptent’s staff is located in offices around the country, including in San Clemente, Calif., New York City and Dallas.
http://technical.ly/philly/2014/01/17/poptent-philadelphia-office/

It — that Mandeville Place never got built but it is good to see all of the tech companies that are leasing space in 2401 Walnut St. CityCoHo also just opened in the building.

Philly now has its own ‘green’-focused coworking space.

Currently in soft launch mode, CityCoHo is a two-floor, 13,000 square foot space that aims to create a community of sustainability professionals, said cofounder Drew Foulkes. Its first anchor tenant is the Delaware Valley Green Building Council, the local chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council.

The space is inside 2401 Walnut Street, an eight-story building whose $10.5 million makeover in 2011 included installing a green roof and a 17,500 gallon rainwater cistern. It’s currently applying for LEED certification. 2401 Walnut Street is also home to startups like Curalate, TicketLeap and LifeVest Health, as well as Wharton‘s summer startup incubator.
http://technical.ly/philly/2014/01/17/poptent-philadelphia-office/