Regarding Iwill's critiques and the subsequent discussion of CITC's placement in the skyline:
I think it's perfect where it is. Yes, some of the world's most recognizable skylines have the bimodal shape, but it don't think it's a necessary criterion for being recognizable. If anything, NYC and Chicago are exceptions -- because they're so massive, they can get away without the
wedding cake shape. Look at Atlanta for instance -- from afar, it looks like a sprawling, loosely connected string of cities rather than a single, unified urban center:
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Fr...wn2Buckead.jpg)
Philly, on the other hand, has the classic wedding cake shape, and it pulls it off incredibly well. Combine that with an abundance of midrises (you can thank the gentleman's agreement for that) and you have a really neat, dense, and world-class skyline. I mean look at Shanghai for God's sake! No one would say, "hm...let's put the Shanghai Tower further from the central business district." Why do the same for Philadelphia?