Imgur user peachypalmer recently uploaded some Inception-like photos shot from the top of the Comcast Center. I'm not exactly sure how he/she got up there, but sheesh. Incredible. It just goes to show how insane that reflection really is.
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If you're in the market for a Rittenhouse mansion with nine (yes, NINE) fireplaces, you're in luck. As of yesterday, Salon Royale Court owners Michael Sparano and Rocco Giancaterino put their massive four-story Rittenhouse home/salon on the block. The third and fourth floors are immediately ready for residential use, but can be easily adjoined with the two lower commercial floors. Plus, the ship on the mantle is pretty cool.
Demo Watch: A Look Inside the Church of the Assumption
The Church of the Assumption at 12th & Spring Garden has been in the news quite a bit lately, with its future in limbo amidst a seemingly constant process of appeals.
This church has been abandoned since the early 1990s and was purchased by a non-profit called Siloam in 2006, who was then granted a demolition permit based on financial hardship. Instead of demolishing the structure, the organization sold it for $1.2 million to Chinatown developer John Wei in July 2011, who initially expressed interest in restoring the historic church.Â
Restoration costs were estimated at $6 million at the time and Wei instead decided to use the demolition permit that was granted to Siloam. The transfer of a demolition permit from one owner to another is not typically allowed, but after recent hearings with both the Licenses & Inspections board and the Historical Commission, officials made the decision that Siloam’s demolition permit still applies.Â
Built in 1848, the Church of the Assumption holds some pretty significant history. Not only is it the site of Saint Katherine Drexel’s baptism, but its twin spires are believed to serve as a location marker of Benjamin Franklin's infamous kite experiment. Personally, I’m endlessly fascinated by the history and architecture of structures like this, and I was extremely fortunate to gain access and respectfully explore the interior while taking the appropriate measures to leave it exactly as I found it.
Some of my photos from this exploration were featured on Curbed Philly, Streets Dept, and Architect Magazine. But I’ll give you a little more of an insider’s look without needing to worry about falling through the floorboards.
First off, take a look at the interior in its prime.
Here is a similar shot from late 2012. It's tragic to see such a beautiful structure in such a state of decay.
The architectural intricacies are evident here, and I had to take a moment to just stand in amazement at the detail. Nearly everything today goes to the lowest bidder, so we just won't see this type of work again unless it's properly preserved.
I was shocked to see the stained glass windows still in perfect condition. Several windows along the side had been knocked out, exposing the interior to the elements and contributing to its decay. If the church is demolished, I really hope a salvage company comes in to save these.
Apologies for the blurriness, but you can see that this is a page of a newspaper dated December 11, 1926. Eerily enough, demolition was originally set for December 11, 2012 before the most recent set of appeals took place.Â
This newspaper was lying on a pile of dismantled pews in what was formerly the center aisle of the church.Â
This was shot from the altar facing the main entrance and Spring Garden Street. It's just incredible to me that this was built before the Civil War.Â
The main floor was incredibly unstable -- I felt as thought I could fall through to the basement at any moment. Large sections of flooring were missing and a ton of brickwork was exposed, especially at the altar.
For a much closer look at the interior of the Church of the Assumption, spend a few minutes with Matthew Christopher's incredible interactive panoramic shot from the second floor.
Tower Place, the latest project from real estate developer Bart Blatstein, has taken a novel approach to advertising and exposure by joining the popular social media photo-sharing app Instagram.
This marks the first time I've seen this approach from a residential property, and I give a tip of the hat to the marketing team at Tower Place for taking this route. There are only 19 photos on their account at the moment, but it's a great way to offer views of the building's features and furnished apartments to an entire network of users who spend an increasing amount of time on their mobile devices.
Tower Place still appears to have a number of vacancies in their newly renovated state office building at North Broad & Spring Garden. Hopefully this building's renovation will be the first step of many to help breathe new life into the North Broad area of Center City.
Philadelphia was abuzz with excitement when the plans for the American Commerce Center were revealed in March 2008. Originally set to be a 63 story mixed-use tower with two separate roof gardens and a spire topping off at 1,510 feet, this building would have absolutely dominated the skyline and put Philadelphia on the world skyscraper map. Imagine stacking City Hall on top of the Comcast Center and you’ve got the height of the American Commerce Center.Â
A set of zoning changes were unanimously approved at the building’s 18th & Arch location but construction never began, largely due to the lack of an anchor tenant during the depths of the recent recession. Some will say that a recession is the best time to build due to the potential job creation of construction workers, along with the likelihood that the economy will have shifted by the time construction is completed. However, the American Commerce Center was just too big a pill to swallow for the city of Philadelphia at the time.
On a positive note, the fact that this project received so many approvals is a potential sign of things to come for the city. Liberty Property Trust (who is responsible for the Comcast Center) recently bought the site in August 2011 and has yet to comment on their intentions for the property.
Who knows, maybe we’ll see another exciting proposal like the American Commerce Center shortly.
In the meantime, enjoy this video chock-full of renderings of what could have been.
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Sure, there's some snow on the ground and your scarf collection has been steadily growing for the past few months, but springtime weather is right around the corner.Â
One of the nicest perks you can find is a roof deck with a great view of the skyline, so I've gone through the listings to bring you five available homes that will help you appreciate warmer temperatures and great sight lines.Â
Endangered Structure of the Week: The Boyd Theatre
Sitting vacant at 1908 Chestnut Street, the Boyd Theatre is one of the city’s finest examples of missed opportunity. Fortunately, it’s not too late to turn that around, but it will take a dedicated buyer to save the building.
Opened on Christmas Day 1928 and boasting one of the most extravagant and rarely seen art deco interiors in the city, the Boyd held its name until a 1971 change of ownership transformed it into the SamEric. The theatre was closed in 2002 and purchased by Clear Channel three years later with the intention of restoring it to its former glory. However, Clear Channel’s theaters formed an independent company named Live Nation and restoration was put on a permanent hold.
The Boyd was placed on the 2008 List of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and I recently had a conversation about the building’s status with Howard Haas, Chairman & President of The Friends of the Boyd. Check it out after the jump.
1. What is the importance of restoring the Boyd?
The Boyd Theatre is Philadelphia’s last premier motion picture palace where Hollywood stars came to celebrate Philadelphia premieres of their films. For its history as a premiere movie palace and also for its unique art-deco interior, the Boyd should be preserved, but it’s not just a question of trying to preserve a historic building. It’s also an opportunity.Â
2. Does the Boyd present more of an opportunity for film or for live performances?
If the Boyd were to become a historic Broadway theatre (which is why Clear Channel purchased it in 2005), it could take about $50 million to build a new stage and refurbish the building as a theatre, whereas to build a brand new Broadway theatre in Philadelphia would cost $200-300 million.
Even without Broadway shows, concerts could be held at the Boyd just as many former movie palaces throughout the country. It’s also an opportunity for world premieres of locally filmed movies. Movie premieres generate a great deal of excitement in a city because there’s all the activity of the Hollywood stars arriving in their limousines, there’s the spotlight on the sidewalk and the facade. But there’s no great venue to host them with any viable number of people coming.Â
3. With so many other American cities boasting a restored movie palace of their own, why doesn’t Philadelphia have one?
Ironically, movie palaces were open for longer in Philadelphia than many other cities. Until relatively recently, the vast majority of cities in America had gone fairly quiet before revitalization, so there were only about half a dozen real vibrant downtowns across the country (Philadelphia being one of them). One explanation is simply that many of our movie theaters were open as movie theaters and continued with that purpose. The other explanation is that there’s been some concern about competition since the creation of the Kimmel Center.Â
4. How rare is it for a major city like Philadelphia to be without a restored theatre like the Boyd?
Going around the country, Boston has at least three historic movie palaces downtown. Cleveland has five on Playhouse Square. Pittsburgh has at least two. Washington, D.C. and Baltimore have one each downtown. Chicago has three in the loop downtown, and the list just goes on and on.Â
It’s just unheard of for a major city not to have one. Go into the Barnes & Noble and look at the travel books. Every book will talk about a saved and restored 1920s movie palace that now hosts a variety of events. Every one of them!
For more information on the Boyd, visit The Friends of the Boyd. For more photos of theaters like this all across the country, visit After the Final Curtain by photographer Matt Lambros.