PHILADELPHIA | Comcast Technology Center | 1,121 FT | 60 FLOORS

[PHL10]

Originally Posted by jjv007

Absolutely not, the Roxborough radio towers are iconic. And they only show up prominently from very select angles anyway. They don’t affect the skyline in person.

Right, those antennas are 10 miles away and only appear so prominent because of the zoom on the camera.

[Londonee]

Originally Posted by jjv007

Absolutely not, the Roxborough radio towers are iconic.

Are they?

I mean, the Liberty Bell is iconic; the Art Museum steps are iconic; Independence Hall is Iconic. A series of architecturally useless radio/TV masts...iconic?

[AbortedWalrus]

Originally Posted by Londonee

Are they?

I mean, the Liberty Bell is iconic; the Art Museum steps are iconic; Independence Hall is Iconic. A series of architecturally useless radio/TV masts...iconic?

This is a little weird and probably somewhat unique but I actually grew up in Berks county and whenever we would come into the city the antennas were the first sign to me that we were getting close to the city. My little kid brain forever associated them as an iconic thing whenever driving toward the city from the west ever since. It's similar to how when I'm coming in from the east and getting on to the BFB I know I'm pretty much home.

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by AbortedWalrus

This is a little weird and probably somewhat unique but I actually grew up in Berks county and whenever we would come into the city the antennas were the first sign to me that we were getting close to the city. My little kid brain forever associated them as an iconic thing whenever driving toward the city from the west ever since. It's similar to how when I'm coming in from the east and getting on to the BFB I know I'm pretty much home.

I got the same feel driving home from college. They peak out from right around Lansdale coming down 476.

The radio towers are locally iconic, not nationally. They're one of those things that are just a part of Philly and would be missed if they were gone (which they obviously won't be). Off the top of my head, we've lost some local icons lately including the Whale Mural that Aramark is replacing and maybe the King of Jeans sign. I'm sure there are many things in the city that are locally iconic, but those towers are the most viable. I'd say the "cave" that you drive through on Kelly would be up there too.

[Baconboy007]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

They're one of those things that are just a part of Philly and would be missed if they were gone (which they obviously won't be). Off the top of my head, we've lost some local icons lately including the Whale Mural that Aramark is replacing and maybe the King of Jeans sign.

People keep blaming Aramark for taking away the whale murals. I don't have any proof of this but I don't think Aramark chose the area to relocate based on the premise that the murals were taken down. I think the building owner and developer were going to blow them down no matter who moved in.

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by Baconboy007

People keep blaming Aramark for taking away the whale murals. I don't have any proof of this but I don't think Aramark chose the area to relocate based on the premise that the murals were taken down. I think the building owner and developer were going to blow them down no matter who moved in.

Poorly chosen words on my part, yes, it was the developers who removed the mural. I do not, and I hope nobody else is actually believes that Aramark moved in because they have some vendetta against whales/whale based art.

[iheartphilly]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

Poorly chosen words on my part, yes, it was the developers who removed the mural. I do not, and I hope nobody else is actually believes that Aramark moved in because they have some vendetta against whales/whale based art.

To re-design and open it up to for views of the river, they had to remove it. The whale mural will be missed, but the net gains are the benefit of that change.

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by iheartphilly

To re-design and open it up to for views of the river, they had to remove it. The whale mural will be missed, but the net gains are the benefit of that change.

100% agree

[TK2001]

Originally Posted by shakman

Schuylkill Yards and 30th Street Station District should take care of that.

I can add them to the photo if you want me to

[TechTalkGuy]

Originally Posted by TK2001

I can add them to the photo if you want me to

You got my vote!

[Redddog]

Originally Posted by TK2001

I can add them to the photo if you want me to

Oooo. I love those mock-ups you do.

[jjv007]

Originally Posted by AbortedWalrus

This is a little weird and probably somewhat unique but I actually grew up in Berks county and whenever we would come into the city the antennas were the first sign to me that we were getting close to the city. My little kid brain forever associated them as an iconic thing whenever driving toward the city from the west ever since. It's similar to how when I'm coming in from the east and getting on to the BFB I know I'm pretty much home.

Same here, I think the "poles" as I call them for whatever reason are a quirky part of local lore. I also think they're interesting coz I can see them from the most random places far out from the city, even more so than the skyline itself sometimes.

[TK2001]

Originally Posted by Redddog

Oooo. I love those mock-ups you do.

Since I don't have school tomorrow due to the cyclone bomb, I'll do it (sorry for being off topic)

[Mr Saturn64]

Originally Posted by jjv007

Same here, I think the "poles" as I call them for whatever reason are a quirky part of local lore. I also think they're interesting coz I can see them from the most random places far out from the city, even more so than the skyline itself sometimes.

Same here. You could see the Roxborough Towers from anywhere near where I lived, and they really do stand out. Hell, I'm pretty sure you can see them from Trenton.

[donnie]

Sorry i didn't realize antennas were iconic! I'm in Chicago and don't see a lot of them except for the ones on Sears tower and Handcock!

Looking good Philly, definitely creeping up the list!

[Knight Hospitaller]

Technically, they are “masts.” As someone pointed out, they are miles from Center City. They rank high on the list for tallest structures in Philadelphia. In fact, you can see them on the diagram page if you check the right box.

[iheartphilly]

^
For those that are interested in the radio/tv towers as shown in the previous post:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cA5nH-7WMk

[JohnIII]

Philadelphia has some really nice skyscrapers; now if we can only get companies to buy real estate that's a bit more spread out then the skyline would be more dynamic; but its a nice grouping.

As for the antennas/masts; I remember a few years back driving down the Northeast Extensions and seeing them as far away as Lansdale which is about 30 miles north of Philadelphia. Considering Philadelphia is the 4th largest media outlet in the nation I suppose the masts are really important to the vitality of the Delaware Valley metro region.

https://www.newsgeneration.com/broad...radio-markets/

[Jayfar]

Comcast's high-tech tower getting old-media upgrade: sidewalk newsstands | Philly.com

Digital media giant Comcast Corp. plans to furnish the sidewalks outside its new-technology high-rise with an old-media staple: newsstands.

The company plans a pair of kiosks selling newspapers and magazines — as well as coffee, croissants and sandwiches — on Arch Street, near the northwestern and northeastern corners of the Comcast Technology Center building that is set to open later this year, according to a presentation this week to the city’s Art Commission.

[snip]

Note that these are much larger than the size allowed for standard newsstands, per the City ordinance, which last I checked was 4'x8'. Apparently they're not cheaping out on the newsstand design and construction either:

The kiosks, each with a footprint of 16-feet-by-7.6-feet, were designed by London-based architects Foster & Partners, which also designed Comcast’s technology tower, and are being built for $1.6 million.

[PHL10]

Originally Posted by Jayfar

http://www.philly.com/philly/busines...-20180105.html

Comcast's high-tech tower getting old-media upgrade: sidewalk newsstands

Presumably these will be integrated into the footprint of the building and not extend onto the sidewalk?