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  #1  
Old Posted Feb 19, 2014, 5:38 PM
Insoluble Insoluble is offline
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PHILADELPHIA | Mellon Independence Center Tower | 429 FT | 35 FLOORS

Location: 700 Block of Market Street (addition to Litt Bros. Building)
Height: 429 ft (131 m)
Floors: 35 above street level (existing 5 + 30 new)
Use:
  • Office 110,741 ft^2
  • Retail 9,839 ft^2
  • Residential 360171 ft^2 (342 units)
  • Parking: 0 spaces
Developer: Independence Center Realty L.P.
Architect: Stantec Architecture Inc.


NEW Rendering from philadelphiaheights
http://philadelphiaheights.wordpress...o-market-east/


OLD Rendering of MIC Tower by Stantec Architecture, via Philadelphia Historical Commission
http://hiddencityphila.org/2014/02/l...tories-taller/

Quote:
As plans to revitalize Market East gain steam between the Market8 proposal, Kmart’s closing and its possible replacements, and the Girard Estate block, the Mellon Independence Center has thrown its hat in the rebirth ring with a 429′ mixed-use tower. Carefully crafted by New York’s Stantec Architecture to defer to the existing Lit Brothers structure, the tower would be set back 180′ from Seventh, Market, and Eighth Streets; its façade would primarily consist of white and gray hues, to intentionally not distract from the Lits complex. Likewise, its north-south orientation and setback would largely protect the Market Street view corridor.
Location: 700 Block of Market Street

It is not 100% clear from the article, but it looks like this will be 30 stories above the current 5 story Litt Bros. building so that we will have 5 floors of office/retail and another 29 to 30 floors of residential.

Last edited by Insoluble; May 9, 2014 at 12:42 PM. Reason: update to better rendering
     
     
  #2  
Old Posted Feb 19, 2014, 5:43 PM
Pennsgrant Pennsgrant is offline
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And the DallHouTorAtblandafication of Philadelphia continues. Joy.

Back to the drawing boards . No more cookie cutter junk for Philadelphia. Why not just add 30 stories to that amazing 5 story facade
     
     
  #3  
Old Posted Feb 19, 2014, 5:50 PM
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Yeah, I'm not too keen on the design either, especially given the gorgeous building it is building off of. On the plus side, 5 floors of office space and another 29 or so of residential will be a great density boost for 8th and Market. It also sounds like they only be making minimal changes to the existing building. This goes through the Historical Commission next week so there may be significant changes to the design.
     
     
  #4  
Old Posted Feb 19, 2014, 6:04 PM
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The height for Market East is great! The design needs something...anything...to spruce it up. But from the quote below, it doesn't seem very likely.

"Carefully crafted by New York’s Stantec Architecture to defer to the existing Lit Brothers structure, the tower would be set back 180′ from Seventh, Market, and Eighth Streets; its façade would primarily consist of white and gray hues, to intentionally not distract from the Lits complex."
http://hiddencityphila.org/2014/02/l...tories-taller/
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  #5  
Old Posted Feb 19, 2014, 7:06 PM
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If you ran one of those watercolor photoshop filters, removed the cars and showed me this rendering with no other information I would have thought it was a proposal from 1970. Not even kidding.
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  #6  
Old Posted Feb 19, 2014, 7:53 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pennsgrant View Post
And the DallHouTorAtblandafication of Philadelphia continues. Joy.

Back to the drawing boards . No more cookie cutter junk for Philadelphia. Why not just add 30 stories to that amazing 5 story facade
I think the goal was to NOT draw attention away from the gorgeous structure from which it emerges, and in general, modern building materials can't match the original materials used for historic building.

I think they succeeded with their goal but only because the design is so bland an innocuous.

Placing the structure at the back of the existing building further separates it from the building.

Altogether I'm happy to see the height and street level activity come to Market East and hope that future developments offer more for the eyes than this one.
     
     
  #7  
Old Posted Feb 19, 2014, 7:56 PM
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*looks at design*

Oh.
     
     
  #8  
Old Posted Feb 19, 2014, 9:09 PM
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It will at to the skyline and the resurgence of Market East! I'm all for it. Sure the design could use some work, but it will bring so much to this part of Center City, so I won't complain
     
     
  #9  
Old Posted Feb 19, 2014, 9:19 PM
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  #10  
Old Posted Feb 19, 2014, 10:23 PM
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Curbed Philly has more on the MIC Tower…

The Lits Building, the ornate white building on the 700 block of Market Street, may become a host for a 30 story growth to be known as the Mellon Independence Center Tower. The new residential tower would include a basement lobby, street level retail, and 29 floors of apartments.

http://philly.curbed.com/archives/20...s-building.php
     
     
  #11  
Old Posted Feb 19, 2014, 10:52 PM
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Ouch... density and mixed use good, design brutal.
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  #12  
Old Posted Feb 19, 2014, 11:41 PM
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Its a good filler, I'd expect nothing less. Not all towers are going to be flashy and innovative. This will pave the path for more development around that area. Soon in the distant future there will be trophy towers engulfing that area and blocking this most likely.
     
     
  #13  
Old Posted Feb 20, 2014, 12:37 AM
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I like it. Yeah the skyscraper portion is dull but it doesn't take away from the gorgeous LIT building. This is almost like hidden density.
     
     
  #14  
Old Posted Feb 20, 2014, 12:55 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Plokoon11 View Post
Its a good filler, I'd expect nothing less. Not all towers are going to be flashy and innovative. This will pave the path for more development around that area. Soon in the distant future there will be trophy towers engulfing that area and blocking this most likely.
I agree. Every tower does not need to be flashy and fancy. Keep filling the skyline towards the Delaware.
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  #15  
Old Posted Feb 20, 2014, 2:58 AM
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Were those renderings scanned from a newspaper in 1992? bleh
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  #16  
Old Posted Feb 20, 2014, 4:26 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by summersm343 View Post
I think we can all agree that the best part of this proposal is their plan to move 2 Liberty Place to South Philly.
     
     
  #17  
Old Posted Feb 20, 2014, 5:37 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Insoluble View Post
I think we can all agree that the best part of this proposal is their plan to move 2 Liberty Place to South Philly.
Or, maybe it's a new 900 ft proposal no one knows about yet lol.

All kidding aside, the building looks interesting for a box.
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  #18  
Old Posted Feb 20, 2014, 7:23 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Austinlee View Post
Were those renderings scanned from a newspaper in 1992? bleh
Yes, with a design from 1965.
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  #19  
Old Posted Feb 20, 2014, 8:47 AM
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Yeah, the 1960's called; they want their design back. lol Seriously, this looks like the old Genesee Towers in Flint (recently demolished) on steroids.
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  #20  
Old Posted Feb 20, 2014, 2:30 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by shakman View Post
I agree. Every tower does not need to be flashy and fancy. Keep filling the skyline towards the Delaware.
I'm with you guys here. Obviously I'd prefer if it was more interesting or detailed, but anything that extends the skyline towards the Delaware is a good thing, and plain buildings like this can serve to enhance even mediocre designs, as even an only moderately-interesting building will stand out and look good next to something like this.

To put it another way, it's like wrestling back in the '80s. You can't have all awesome stars battling each other - they'd always win and lose half the time. You need jobbers in there to make the stars look good. This building is like the Barry Horowitz of Philadelphia. Every city needs a Barry Horowitz.
     
     
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