R. Bradley Maule knows more about buildings than you.
posted by Drew Lazor
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| A mock-up of the American Commerce Center |
| phillyskyline.com |
Philly Skyline’s R. Bradley Maule has all the scooptastic details on the American Commerce Center that Walnut Street Capital’s planning for 1800 Arch Street.
Remember how Comcast Center — one block away — transformed the skyline? Well, brace yourself …
This is American Commerce Center.
The vitals: 26 story hotel, 473′ to the garden accessible to hotel guests. 3-to-6 stories of street-accessible retail along Arch Street with a public garden facing the dome of the Arch Street Presbyterian Church, and another garden on the sixth floor, between Arch and Cuthbert and overlooking the one below. 63 story office tower, 1,210′ to the lower portion of the roof, 1,500′ to the top of the spire. All parking is underground, including dedicated bicycle parking. LEED gold.
[Walnut Street Capital president] Garrett Miller knew this going into concept: "it has to be engaging at the street level, or else it is a failure." The pedestrian fabric is as much a part of American Commerce Center (ACC) as is its height. Along 18th Street, following the natural direction of (vehicular) traffic, the pedestrian is greeted with a mini-plaza that will be home to a café and the three-story lobby of the hotel. At 19th & Arch, the main entrance of the office tower amplifies the corner by the tower’s massing being sliced — chamfered — back from the street corner.
Tons more details here. Helluva job, Maulie.
March 18th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
This is epic. another big step for philadelphia in reclaiming its colonial glory.