PHILADELPHIA | Roberts Center for Pediatric Research | 375 FT | 23 FLOORS

[summersm343]

Title: Roberts Center for Pediatric Research
Project: Office Space, Research Space, Commercial Space, Parking, Green Space
Architect: Ballinger/ Pelli Clark Pelli
Developer: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Location: 700 Schuylkill Avenue, Philadelphia, PA
Neighborhood: Graduate Hospital
District: South Philadelphia
Floors: 23
Height: 375 feet

CHOP is planning a 3 tower complex along Schuylkill Avenue in the Graduate Hospital neighborhood of South Philadelphia right across the river from their University City medical center in West Philadelphia. The first phase of the development will be a 23 floor, 375 foot, 743,000 sq ft office/research building with parking and green space for 1,000 CHOP researchers. When the complex is completed with future phases taking place at later dates, it will consist of 2,155,000 sq ft of office/research space, a possible hotel, 1,440 parking spaces, green space, a continuation of the Schuylkill River Banks trail, and possible transit connections with the CHOP University City Medical Center.

Upon completion, tower 1 will be the tallest building in South Philadelphia.













Links
http://southofsouth.org/sites/southo...lan-phase1.pdf
http://philly.curbed.com/archives/20...aster-plan.php

[SJPhillyBoy]

For those of you outside of Philadelphia that do not know what CHOP is:
CHOP = The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

It is consistently ranked the #1 children's hospital in the United States.

U.S. News Best Children's Hospitals 2012-13
http://health.usnews.com/best-hospit...atric-rankings

[christof]

Originally Posted by SJPhillyBoy

For those of you outside of Philadelphia that do not know what CHOP is:
CHOP = The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

It is consistently ranked the #1 children's hospital in the United States.

U.S. News Best Children's Hospitals 2012-13
http://health.usnews.com/best-hospit...atric-rankings

Penn has plans to expand its medical complex onto the western river bank (where there is currently green space). So in a about a decade, this is going to be a huge medical campus...

[Philly Fan]

Originally Posted by christof

Penn has plans to expand its medical complex onto the western river bank (where there is currently green space). So in a about a decade, this is going to be a huge medical campus...

It's already huge, which explains why Penn is perennially among the top 2 or 3 recipients of NIH research funding in the country, but it certainly will get even huger.

[dc_denizen]

Those are some awesome freaking aerials of Philly.

[mPhilly]

I love this plan. Amazing green space connects perfectly to South Street and the trail.

[Yorkie]

I agree, great aerials, from a different vantage point. I was thinking the chop was a new steakhouse..

[Insoluble]

So based on this picture it looks like they'll double or triple the width of Schuylkill Ave then try to sell it to us as green space. sigh. The other aspects of the project look pretty good though.

[hammersklavier]

My thoughts:

1. Drop the parking req's. There is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much of it, for where it is (next to several urban neighborhoods, alongside the region's main bike artery, and a five-minute walk from the University City station).

2. Don't demolish that armory unless you absolutely have to. It has good bones, is built to be nigh-indestructible, and (probably) has the foundations to cope with overbuilding. It's clearly an asset to the site, if you can use it properly. And frankly, based on the site plan, there is no reason whatsoever that it has to be razed for surface parking in Phase I. The new construction won't overlap with it, and it's already fitted to be a parking garage. (The parking podium in Phase II has the same dimensions as the armory anyway.)

[PHL10]

Originally Posted by hammersklavier

My thoughts:

1. Drop the parking req's. There is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much of it, for where it is (next to several urban neighborhoods, alongside the region's main bike artery, and a five-minute walk from the University City station).

2. Don't demolish that armory unless you absolutely have to.

I agree with both your points but I am glad to see that the tallest/largest tower is "Phase 1". Often Phase 1 is some inconsequential piece of the development, i.e. the garage at Cira South.

[PhiLaw]

Originally Posted by PHL10

I agree with both your points but I am glad to see that the tallest/largest tower is "Phase 1". Often Phase 1 is some inconsequential piece of the development, i.e. the garage at Cira South.

I'll add Sugarhouse and XFinity Live!

[summersm343]

Looks like the first tower will rise next year and be 20-something stories high.

http://nakedphilly.com/graduate-hosp...tal-neighbors/

[Flyers2001]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Looks like the first tower will rise next year and be 20-something stories high.

http://nakedphilly.com/graduate-hosp...tal-neighbors/

I like the ongoing discussion of whether the site should add retail. Not so sure myself, but I do like the idea of some small eatery of some sort of the west side off the trail. Something that future employees can use as well as those that take advantage of the growing trail.

[duffey]

this is a bit farther down, but when this, chop/penn med, and u.city are done. FMC might not look so out of place... and penn park will be surrounded by high rises.

[Flyers2001]

Credit to Cubanchris.

I don't have time at the moment to grab all of the images, but for those interested in the CHOP presentation with accompanying renders it is here:

http://www.chop.edu/export/download/...esentation.pdf

Page 14 has a detailed rendering of the phase 1 facade that looks really nice (though helped by the sunset colors they added in).

All of it seems pretty amazing to me, except I really think they should carve out the space for a real restaurant/bar turned toward the river & promenade (page 12& 20) to take advantage of the views and space.

A lot of good information on what they see this project becoming.

[Insoluble]

Originally Posted by Flyers2001

Credit to Cubanchris.
A lot of good information on what they see this project becoming.

The towers themselves look nice, but I'm still horribly disappointed by the overall superblock design. I mean do they really need to put in a driveway paralleling Schuylkill Ave? Pitiful.

[summersm343]

Here are some of the renderings.

Looks like the first phase of construction will start in October of next year.

The first tower also looks like it will be about 380 feet.

[Philly Fan]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Here are some of the renderings.

Looks like the first phase of construction will start in October of next year.

The first tower also looks like it will be about 380 feet.

Interesting how development will span between University City and Center City along two different axes, with Penn Park in between. I know that in some of the original planning for the Penn Connects program, there was to be a pedestrian bridge across the Schuylkill River that essentially would have extended Penn's Locust Walk into Center City, and bisected the triangle defined by those two axes. Now wouldn't THAT be a terrific vantage point to take in all of this new development (not to mention incredibly cool)?

[MikeNigh]

That's going to be awesome coming into south st.

[SJPhillyBoy]

Originally Posted by EastSideHBG

Changing Skyline: Details still fuzzy on Children's Hospital's research center

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/home/20...P0qP6XlJoDY.99

I agree with Inga that this a crucial location on the river and that the river interaction with the city should be maximized for future generations.