PHILADELPHIA | Comcast Technology Center | 1,121 FT | 60 FLOORS - Page 459

Zerton · #**9161** Posted **Oct 30, 2018, 5:30 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tatts

I have to disagree about the quality of the materials, Zerton. The "wood" slats are clearly fake (at least on the outside entrances), the long sides of the pedestal are clad in ribbed molded plastic that belongs on a quonset hut, the shiny metal on the window frames is little more than foil, the floors are reportedly vinyl wood-look strips, and the lantern is already discoloring.
This is nothing more than shopping mall construction and materials--all surface, no substance.

We have very different views on what counts as "shopping mall construction and materials".

This is way higher quality than you think.

The art installations are by world-famous artists.

The lobby interior uses real wood. The lobby floor is reclaimed white oak tile, end-grain up, polished and coated (not vinyl strips). The floor of the cafeteria is also white oak tile but larger size.

The lobby walls are also real white oak wood panel as well as slats. Some wall surfaces are brushed aluminum panel.

The lobby ceiling is also white oak slats. Very expensive.

The exterior wood slats (that extend through the glass to form the entrance canopy) might be composite but that's normal for weather reasons. I still think they look great and match the interior wood very well.

I don't know what you mean by "the pedestal" but I don't see anything that's plastic. Nor do I see how the lantern is "discoloring"

The window framing is high quality aluminum, not foil.

This was designed by Normal Foster, not some hack. This building is much higher quality than a shopping mall.

iheartphilly · #**9162** Posted **Oct 30, 2018, 5:49 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zerton

We have very different views on what counts as "shopping mall construction and materials".

This is way higher quality than you think.

The art installations are by world-famous artists.

The lobby interior uses real wood. The lobby floor is reclaimed white oak tile, end-grain up, polished and coated (not vinyl strips). The floor of the cafeteria is also white oak tile but larger size.

The lobby walls are also real white oak wood panel as well as slats. Some wall surfaces are brushed aluminum panel.

The lobby ceiling is also white oak slats. Very expensive.

The exterior wood slats (that extend through the glass to form the entrance canopy) might be composite but that's normal for weather reasons. I still think they look great and match the interior wood very well.

I don't know what you mean by "the pedestal" but I don't see anything that's plastic. Nor do I see how the lantern is "discoloring"

The window framing is high quality aluminum, not foil.

This was designed by Normal Foster, not some hack. This building is much higher quality than a shopping mall.

I remember seeing numbers of the interior fit-out to be 300-400 million dollars. That's just the price tag for the inside. The cost to build the tower alone was 1.2 billion. In sum, not a cheap building by any stretch of the imagination.

TK2001 · #**9163** Posted **Oct 30, 2018, 10:53 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by iheartphilly

I remember seeing numbers of the interior fit-out to be 300-400 million dollars. That's just the price tag for the inside. The cost to build the tower alone was 1.2 billion. In sum, not a cheap building by any stretch of the imagination.

Was 1.2 billion, now 1.5 billion

iheartphilly · #**9164** Posted **Oct 31, 2018, 12:52 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TK2001

Was 1.2 billion, now 1.5 billion

Ok, cool. Not surprising the price went up.

Jayfar · #**9165** Posted **Oct 31, 2018, 1:58 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TK2001

Was 1.2 billion, now 1.5 billion

I thought the cost overruns were only $60 million according to most media accounts?

jsbrook · #**9166** Posted **Oct 31, 2018, 2:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jayfar

I thought the cost overruns were only $60 million according to most media accounts?

Yes, about $67MM. Liberty has blamed Driscoll.

iheartphilly · #**9167** Posted **Oct 31, 2018, 2:23 PM**

Yes, to the overrun cost that was published in the local paper.

According to wikipedia, it is $1.5 billion USD as TK said.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comcast_Technology_Center

BUT, I don't see the source for this number footnoted anywhere in the reference section.

Jawnadelphia · #**9168** Posted **Oct 31, 2018, 3:11 PM**

https://www.instagram.com/crazy_epic_photos/?hl=en

gjrip · #**9169** Posted **Oct 31, 2018, 7:57 PM**

Oh Jesus Christ will they please just peel this fucking blue plastic off??

JorgeGeorgy · #**9170** Posted **Oct 31, 2018, 8:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by gjrip

Oh Jesus Christ will they please just peel this fucking blue plastic off??

Agree, the tape must be baked onto the metal at this point. There's a crane on the roof - dispatch a team to strip the tape off the metal and also clean the grimy windows while they're at it. What am I missing here?

Knight Hospitaller · #**9171** Posted **Oct 31, 2018, 9:44 PM**

I was at a conference at the Pyramid Club a couple of weeks ago. The residue left by some of the tape is VERY bad. Not sure how they're going to get it off. The staining of the lantern was very apparent too.

GtownFriend · #**9172** Posted **Oct 31, 2018, 9:54 PM**

In Center City on 10/29:
As people have said, both inside and out this building is more impressive in person.
As is the scale/density of Center City! Also noticed all the people and energy too.

Looking at the much discussed wood here, clearly real wood inside, matched with composit outside, where it will be weathered.

Also heard someone who works here, showing his family around, talking about the "dome" as some sort of visual experience piece.

on Flickr

JurassicPhilly · #**9173** Posted **Nov 3, 2018, 7:30 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TK2001

Was 1.2 billion, now 1.5 billion

God damn Donald Trump. That's it I'm voting straight D on Tuesday.

JurassicPhilly · #**9174** Posted **Nov 3, 2018, 7:55 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by gjrip

Oh Jesus Christ will they please just peel this fucking blue plastic off??

You really need to be learn some patience. When Vespasian built the Colosseum it took decades for the blue tape to come off. Egyptologists still find it wrapped around the breasts of various statues of Egyptian queens, although in the case of Nefertiti they don't know if it's construction related or if she just wanted her breasts to appear smaller so people would be less likely to make wisecracks about her last name in the afterlife.

TK2001 · #**9175** Posted **Nov 4, 2018, 9:58 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by gjrip

Oh Jesus Christ will they please just peel this fucking blue plastic off??

I'm actually impatient with this too, they took the film off the North side of the hotel section 7 months ago. Got some photos today also

Philadelphia skyline from I-295 south by Thomas Koloski, on Flickr

Philadelphia skyline from Crown Point Road by Thomas Koloski, on Flickr

Philadelphia skyline from Floodgates in Swedesboro by Thomas Koloski, on Flickr

Philadelphia skyline and Delta Airlines airplane from Floodgates by Thomas Koloski, on Flickr

W/Element hotel from Westville by Thomas Koloski, on Flickr

Comcast Technology Center from Westville by Thomas Koloski, on Flickr

The Harper from Westville by Thomas Koloski, on Flickr

Philadelphia skyline from Westville by Thomas Koloski, on Flickr

Philadelphia skyline and it's reflection on Big Timber Creek by Thomas Koloski, on Flickr

The Pavilion at Penn Medicine from Westville by Thomas Koloski, on Flickr

Philadelphia skyline from Gateway Boulevard Bridge Westville by Thomas Koloski, on Flickr

Cira Center, Evo and FMC Tower from Gateway Boulevard Bridge Westville by Thomas Koloski, on Flickr

Philadelphia skyline from Gateway Boulevard Bridge Westville by Thomas Koloski, on Flickr

Jawnadelphia · #**9176** Posted **Nov 5, 2018, 7:27 PM**

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bpxl9tdFjrU/

https://www.instagram.com/jrgreenbaum/?hl=en

Tatts · #**9177** Posted **Nov 6, 2018, 3:13 AM**

Zerton: The pedestal is the 2 lobbies that fill the entire block, above which the tower rises, recessed on east and west sides. The molded, ribbed plastic panels stretch the entire 1800 block of Arch and Cuthbert Sts., alternating with glass. It's a very low-quality, pre-fab look. We deserve better.
I didn't say that the floors should be real wood, simply that LVP is a very cheap flooring. Cut-rate.

Jawnadelphia · #**9178** Posted **Nov 8, 2018, 1:32 PM**

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bp27B95HBYV/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpxkANGHhj9/

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bp3FxGdjava/

https://www.instagram.com/crazy_epic_photos/?hl=en

TK2001 · #**9179** Posted **Nov 8, 2018, 3:28 PM**

Philadelphia Trip 11/07/2018 by Thomas Koloski, on Flickr

McBane · #**9180** Posted **Nov 8, 2018, 4:18 PM**

I wonder when Inga is going to review this building? Not that she's the end-all be-all, but I'm curious what she thinks of the building and in particular the massing/shape.