PHILADELPHIA | American Commerce Center | 1,510' Pinnacle / 1,210' Roof | 63 FLOORS

[slow-v6]

I love this proposal. I love the hotel part being around 500' to fill in so area in the skyline. I love the main building and the spire. I think if this is built that there is going to be a need for more 700-1000 footers to fill in areas in the skyline.. It might look weird at first but I thought the same about comcast center when I first saw those pictures.. This with the River City behind and Cira towers!! Talk about height...

[blkrose]

I like this design, hope it sticks close all the way through! The spire gives it an Emmirates Tower (Dubai) effect which to me is modern, progressive and transcends time (flavor of the decade)! IMOP

Question: In the CC thread there was talk about height limits due to railroad tracks, Shouldn't the same concerns be imposed here? Isn't the reason that CC sits back form JFK was due to rails underneath? The tower seems to take up the entire block form JFK to Arch street.

This is such a nice design , too bad its clustered so that the full effect can't be fully apprieciated, that hole on Market street would be better or the parking lot at the end of arch street would be perfect! Canyons are nice but soo 70'ish! Space it out lets have a good look at ya!

[volguus zildrohar]

The Regional Rail tunnnel has no impact on this tower. The Sterling is built over the tunnel half of the block so the ACC can go as high as it wants with no impact. That's why CC is pushed back from JFK.

The skyline is starting to get a bit of the Toronto syndrome - all the tallest buildings clustered in a relatively small parcel with one big long dong poking up. Of course the dong is a lot closer.

[stormkingfan]

When I found this thread, I was amazed at how many responses were squeezed into such a small time window. Obviously a white-hot topic!

Now, I saw that this is a 1,210' bldg (sans spire) with only 63 floors. After doing the math, that's a whooping 19' per floor. I can understand wanting the feeling of roominess in an office space, but, jeez, I'm picturing a bunch of giants milling about in the building.

Examples of good average floor-to-ceiling heights, I think, can be found at:

Chicago's Aon Center, 13' 8" (1,136'/83 fl.);
Toronto's First Bank Tower, 13' 7" (978'/72 fl.);
LA's US Bank Tower, 13' 11" (1,018'/73 fl.);
Empire State Bldg., 12' 3" (1,250'/102 fl.) (although, 12 feet for an office floor, but the EMS was a very well-built tower)

Something like 14' 3", I don't think would be unreasonable. That said, if you divide 14' 3" into 1,210, you get an 85-storey building.

But then again, would there be need for that much space?

[stormkingfan]

Where I said that the EMS was a well-built bldg. I meant to say, IS a well-built bldg. Just wanted to clarify this, esp. for those of you in NY.

[Ninjawho]

Originally Posted by volguus zildrohar

We seem to be overlooking the big issue on this one:

Will it have an observation deck builted?!?!?!!

Maybe an elevator to the top of the spire!!11!!!!!11!!



In regards to the 19' floor to ceiling...its an LEED building...for the last time geez....that's why there are so few stories.

[williamphilapa]

I-95 south.

Not sure who took the original photo.

[PhillyRising]

Originally Posted by volguus zildrohar

We seem to be overlooking the big issue on this one:

Will it have an observation deck builted?!?!?!!

...and if they don't....I trust you will give every person your famous look if they keep asking that question.

[stormkingfan]

In regards to the 19' floor to ceiling...its an LEED building...for the last time geez....that's why there are so few stories.[/QUOTE]


Well, excu-u-u-use me!!! Now, maybe I didn't have enough time to read everything in this thread to be able to find out what LEED is, but that's no reason to be cutting up with me. We're all interested in the same thing, so let's try to get along and enjoy this thread together, alright? <holding hand out for handshake>

[Ninjawho]

Originally Posted by stormkingfan

In regards to the 19' floor to ceiling...its an LEED building...for the last time geez....that's why there are so few stories.


Well, excu-u-u-use me!!! Now, maybe I didn't have enough time to read everything in this thread to be able to find out what LEED is, but that's no reason to be cutting up with me. We're all interested in the same thing, so let's try to get along and enjoy this thread together, alright? <holding hand out for handshake>

I'm not mad...its just that that question has been asked at least once per page.

LEED is the green standard for buildings now. Large windows = lots of sunlight = less energy use.

[theWatusi]

The New Philadelphia, Raising the bar!

Originally Posted by williamphilapa

source

[Don098]

Originally Posted by stormkingfan

Now, I saw that this is a 1,210' bldg (sans spire) with only 63 floors. After doing the math, that's a whooping 19' per floor. I can understand wanting the feeling of roominess in an office space, but, jeez, I'm picturing a bunch of giants milling about in the building.

Examples of good average floor-to-ceiling heights, I think, can be found at:

Something like 14' 3", I don't think would be unreasonable. That said, if you divide 14' 3" into 1,210, you get an 85-storey building.

But then again, would there be need for that much space?

I'm not an engineer, but one of my friends is an architectural engineer, so is his father, and his girlfriend was a team leader for the solar decathlon in DC, so I know a little about green building designs and materials. I also majored in climatology as part of my geography degree, and we spent time looking at sustainable development. Having said that, I think the floor heights have to do with the green certification. Higher ceilings allow larger windows and therefore more natural light to heat the building. It will save the tenants enormous amounts of money due to increased efficiency, and it's a vital component of sustainable development that will become the top priority for builders within the next decade. We simply know more now than we did when those buildings you listed were built. Also, higher ceilings feel less claustrophobic so there is definitely a positive psychological impact on the people working in there.

[Don098]

Whoops, I didn't mean to beat a dead horse. Sorry guys, i just read stormkingfans post and wrote.

[Dannyboy25]

Is this an exact copy of the early Freedom Tower renderings??

[Philly-Drew]

Volgus, actually I had mentioned having an observation deck in the base of the spire way back on page 6 of this thread.

Regarding LEED certification:
A building designing can be “scored” it as it relates to the LEED certification. The highest score you can get is 69 points. The certifications work like this for new construction:
LEED certified: 26 – 32 points
LEED Silver certified: 33 – 38 points
LEED Gold certified: 39 – 51 points
LEED Platinum: 52 – 69 points

A building can obtain points based on things like renewable energy, passive and active solar design, photovoltaics (converting light into electricity) and other technologies.

Passive solar design is used to sustain a comfortable building temperature during the entire day regardless of where the sun is. This science is a bit more detailed then you would normally think. For example, the technology used to make the ACC LEED certified in Philadelphia may be quite different then the technology used for the same building in Miami, or Las Vegas. Positioning, placement, size, normal climate temperature all go into this.

For those that are interested, here is a cool link that explains how the use of concrete can add to obtaining LEED certification. It includes some detailed links that explain some more about the point system. It is very interesting reading.

I think that the Comcast building may the tallest LEED certified building in the US. The American Commerce Center would certainly be among the tallest LEED certified buildings globally but I do not know where it would place. It would be interesting to see something like a top 10 tallest LEED certified buildings. Anyone? Anyone?

[Joey D]

Wow.. I dont check the site for a few days and look what happens!

I love the height of the new building, but we are going to need more than a few new fillers to balance out the skyline.

Go Phila!

[BuildItUp]

Originally Posted by Dannyboy25

Is this an exact copy of the early Freedom Tower renderings??

Why would this be an exact copy of the FT? They do looked somewhat similar but not exact copy. The current design of the FT also looked like one of the original renderings for One Pennsylvania Plaza, aka Comcast Center. As Giallo points out, this building also looked like the Shanghai Int'l Finance Centre. My point is buildings look like one another and I really don't care if it is an exact copy. I am just happy that is proposed in my back yard, so to speak.

[Plokoon11]

I feel sorry for Verizon Tower, before CCT, it seemed to be a big buildings, than once CCT completed it shrunk sort of speak, due to the size of CCT. Now poor VT has this huge ACC pop up 2x taller than CCT and looks like a tiny building now.

[stormkingfan]

I see what you mean, 11.

I'm thinking back to the end of Rocky V where they show b&w pics as they roll the credits. Like, in the beginning, they show Rocky on the steps with 1975 Center City in the background. At the end, same shot with Rocky and the kid, 1990 Center City.... Verizon Tower is off to the side and you're like, "WOAH, that thing's huge!!!

[stormkingfan]

Originally Posted by Ninjawho

I'm not mad...its just that that question has been asked at least once per page.

LEED is the green standard for buildings now. Large windows = lots of sunlight = less energy use.

Okay ninjawho, everything's cool here. And thanks for the in-a-nutshell explanation.