PHILADELPHIA | FMC Tower @ Cira Centre South | 736 FT | 49 FLOORS

[summersm343]

Update from Building Philly



More photos here:
https://www.facebook.com/BuildingPhilly

[Philly-Drew]

About how many more floors/feet do we have until this gem is topped out?

[summersm343]

Week 5 - B&W Landscape by Adam Hoke, on Flickr

[philatonian]

I walked along Walnut Street near Rittenhouse today and it's amazing how much this stands out. Whereas Walnut used to just kind of trail off into what looked like the end of the city, FMC really carries the eye up. It's a lot like looking north at Comcast or Liberty Place. All these projects west of the Schuylkill are going to do wonders for bringing West Philly and Center City together. It's no wonder that so many companies are creeping west. I just read that Aramark is eyeing West Market for its new headquarters.

[PHL10]

Originally Posted by philatonian

I walked along Walnut Street near Rittenhouse today and it's amazing how much this stands out. Whereas Walnut used to just kind of trail off into what looked like the end of the city, FMC really carries the eye up. It's a lot like looking north at Comcast or Liberty Place. All these projects west of the Schuylkill are going to do wonders for bringing West Philly and Center City together. It's no wonder that so many companies are creeping west. I just read that Aramark is eyeing West Market for its new headquarters.

Agree. If you were a visitor and looking down Walnut Street in Center City, you would never guess that FMC lies across the river.

[summersm343]

Update from Building Philly



https://www.facebook.com/BuildingPhilly

[mmikeyphilly]

Originally Posted by Philly-Drew

About how many more floors/feet do we have until this gem is topped out?

Well Drew, I'll take a stab at guessing. (An uneducated <guess>)

Looking at the Webcam everyday, it's growing rapidly. But as of today (3/24), I am guessing the transition floor is the 28th floor. Above that it looks like the lobby to the residential apartments. I'm counting that 2 more (30), then the floor count of the resident apartments, I count 9 floors. So....

28 + 2 + 9 = 39 floors. It's been noted that total floors is 49. What I'm a little confused, is it 49 "livable" floors? So....it's hard to say IF that includes the mechanical floors, or just the residential floors. Let's just sit back and enjoy the show!
Also: When finished, it will appear taller than 3 Logan Square, even though FMC is 4 feet shorter than 3 Logan. Because FMC is being constructed at a higher (sea level?).

[Jawnadelphia]

from moving train, but look at the cranes

[IMG]Untitled

[hammersklavier]

Originally Posted by TallCoolOne

from moving train, but look at the cranes

[IMG]Untitled

Am I the only one who thinks that the Schuylkill is starting -- just a little bit -- to look like our own version of the Chicago River?

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by TallCoolOne

from moving train, but look at the cranes

[IMG]Untitled

Hot damn!

[Plokoon11]

Boom Town USA!

[mmikeyphilly]

Originally Posted by hammersklavier

Am I the only one who thinks that the Schuylkill is starting -- just a little bit -- to look like our own version of the Chicago River?

It's got the infrastructure concept of the Chicago Golden Mile, but there is just not enough skyscrapers (yet). We have the Grand looking buildings, such as the 30th Street Train Station, Post Office Building, etc. Chicago has the Mercantile Building, which is a grand old building too.
So, yes. Philadelphia's river bank area has a lot of potential, but I don't think could ever catch up to Chicago.

[jjv007]

Originally Posted by mmikeyphilly

It's got the infrastructure concept of the Chicago Golden Mile, but there is just not enough skyscrapers (yet). We have the Grand looking buildings, such as the 30th Street Train Station, Post Office Building, etc. Chicago has the Mercantile Building, which is a grand old building too.
So, yes. Philadelphia's river bank area has a lot of potential, but I don't think could ever catch up to Chicago.

He said "our own version." It may never catch up to Chicago quantitatively but if the current developments and those proposed keep happening, this area might have that same sort of feel/aesthetic.

[mmikeyphilly]

Originally Posted by jjv007

He said "our own version." It may never catch up to Chicago quantitatively but if the current developments and those proposed keep happening, this area might have that same sort of feel/aesthetic.

I actually like "our version" too. The bridges, the Cira complex, the Train Station, Post Office, the lighting schemes of all of the Bridges and Buildings, etc. Also, the future proposals of the Schuylkill Yards projects, which will add to the feel. That's what I meant as the potential. I know that Philly is NOT New York, Chicago, L.A. or any other city. Philadelphia has its own fabric with the Historical, Colleges, and Universities etc. (Cheesesteaks, and soft pretzels are always compared to Philly's.too!)
Sorry, if you took my statement wrong.

[PhilliesPhan]

Happened to be in University City after a LONG day of traveling from Scranton to New York City to Philly, and now to Elwyn (as soon as my train arrives). I wish the lighting on FMC could have turned out to be a little more crisp!

[jjv007]

Originally Posted by mmikeyphilly

I actually like "our version" too. The bridges, the Cira complex, the Train Station, Post Office, the lighting schemes of all of the Bridges and Buildings, etc. Also, the future proposals of the Schuylkill Yards projects, which will add to the feel. That's what I meant as the potential. I know that Philly is NOT New York, Chicago, L.A. or any other city. Philadelphia has its own fabric with the Historical, Colleges, and Universities etc. (Cheesesteaks, and soft pretzels are always compared to Philly's.too!)
Sorry, if you took my statement wrong.

Nah not at all. My bad if my statement came across as harsh.
And in terms of skyline at least, I think Philly definitely has the upper hand on L.A. It's so much more dense and imo prettier and more varied so I would give it the edge even though it's slightly smaller in size.

[jjv007]

Originally Posted by PhilliesPhan

Happened to be in University City after a LONG day of traveling from Scranton to New York City to Philly, and now to Elwyn (as soon as my train arrives). I wish the lighting on FMC could have turned out to be a little more crisp!

Great pic man!

[jsbrook]

Originally Posted by hammersklavier

Am I the only one who thinks that the Schuylkill is starting -- just a little bit -- to look like our own version of the Chicago River?

Yes, and it's good. But Chicago has a ton of buildings RIGHT on the river, and it creates a great feel and aesthetic. We are making progress. But we need to continue with the paving over the railyards approach (so a Schuykill Yards success is important). And ideally a Boston-style dig. So, maybe in 100 years. As it stands, Chicago has a real, interactive riverfront (with architecture booze cruises!) and we have a two mile long river of 106,000 vehicles per day travelling I-676 at 75 MPH.

[Flyers2001]

Coming home from the shore Sunday over the Walt Whitman, this is adding so much to the view. You truly see the expansion westward with the view coming into the city.

[kingtut]

d
FMC tower dominating the Penn landscape .