Liberty Place
Encyclopedia
Liberty Place is a skyscraper complex in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The complex is composed of a 61-story 945 feet (288 m) skyscraper called One Liberty Place, a 58-story 847 feet (258.2 m) skyscraper called Two Liberty Place, a two-story shopping mall called the Shops at Liberty Place, and the 14-story Westin Philadelphia Hotel. Prior to the construction of Liberty Place, there was a "gentlemen's agreement
" not to build any structure in Center City
higher than the statue of William Penn
on top of Philadelphia City Hall
. The tradition lasted until 1984 when developer Willard G. Rouse III
of Rouse & Associates
announced plans to build an office building complex that included two towers taller than City Hall. There was a great amount of opposition to the construction of the towers with critics believing breaking the height limit would lead to construction of many more tall skyscrapers, ruining the livability and charm of Center City. Despite the opposition, construction of One Liberty Place was approved and the first phase of the project began in 1985 and was completed in 1987. When One Liberty Place was completed, it was the tallest skyscraper in Philadelphia.
Phase 2 of the project included Two Liberty Place, a hotel, a shopping mall, and a parking garage. Construction began 1988 after Cigna
agreed to lease the entirety of the skyscraper. Construction was completed in 1990, making Two Liberty Place the second-tallest building in the city. The two towers held their place as first and second tallest buildings in Philadelphia until the Comcast Center was topped off
in 2007. Liberty Place was received enthusiastically by critics and led to the construction of other tall skyscrapers giving Philadelphia what architecture critic Paul Goldberger
called "one of the most appealing skylines of any major American city".
Liberty Place was designed by architect Helmut Jahn
and his firm Murphy/Jahn. The steel and blue glass skyscrapers were heavily influenced by New York City's Chrysler Building
. The major influence is the spire made of gable
d angular setbacks
. Two Liberty Place's spire is shorter and squatter, a design influenced by the needs of tenant Cigna. In the 2000s Cigna reduced its presence in the tower, which led to the owners converting the upper floors into 122 luxury condominium
s. Below the two towers is the 289 room Westin hotel
and the 143000 square feet (13,285.1 m²) Shops at Liberty Place. The main feature of the mall is a round atrium
topped by a large glass dome
.
In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, there was a "gentlemen's agreement
" not to build any structure in Center City
higher than the statue of William Penn
on top of Philadelphia City Hall
. The tradition lasted until the 1980s when developer Willard G. Rouse III
of Rouse & Associates
announced plans to build an office building complex that included two towers taller than City Hall. Prior to any development plans, Rouse wanted to acquire prime real estate in Philadelphia and he eyed a block in Center City occupied by parking lots and several small buildings. The Oliver Tyrone Pulver Corp. also eyed the land for development and the company and Rouse both vied for the block of land by buying small lots throughout the site. Neither developer was able to acquire enough contiguous space to build a large office building, so after a lawsuit and failed negotiations, the two developers agreed to an organized bidding war for each other's properties. Under the rules agreed upon, the highest bidder would get the option to buy the other's property. Rouse won the auction in 1983 for an undisclosed amount. Originally, Rouse envisioned a $US150 million 38-story
skyscraper but on April 5, 1984 Rouse officially announced his plans to build a complex that would include two office towers, one 65 stories the other 55 stories, a hotel, and retail space. Rumors and local lore speculate Rouse spent so much money buying the land that he had to build something that justified the expense.
Opposition to the project had begun before the April 5 official announcement at a Planning Commission meeting. The meeting was attended by 300 people and a number of attendees were opposed or skeptical of the idea that the skyscrapers would be taller than City Hall. Critics feared breaking the "gentlemen's agreement" would lead to the development of more tall skyscrapers that would end up dwarfing City Hall and changing the makeup of the city. Critic of the plan and former Philadelphia city planner Edmund Bacon said, "Once [the height ceiling is] smashed, it's gone." A phone poll conducted by the Philadelphia Daily News
had callers opposing breaking the height barrier by 3,809 to 1,822 and Philadelphia Inquirer
editorial feared the skyscrapers would ruin downtown. The location of City Hall was intended as the city's center from the city's founding and critics feared taller buildings would move the city's center away from City Hall. Critics of breaking the height ceiling favored the smaller scale of the cityscape and felt that a Philadelphia with skyscrapers would affect the livability of the city. Edmund Bacon and Center City civic leaders said that Philadelphia owes its livability and charm to its low profile. Chairman of the City Planning Commission, Graham S. Finney, noted that there was a general feeling that the sky above the city was considered a public space. Supporters of breaking the height limitation noted that the project would bring needed jobs and business to Center City and that shorter buildings were already blocking views of City Hall from certain directions.
A planning commission meeting was held on May 3 to decide if they would approve skyscrapers that break the height limit. Executive director of the commissioners, Barbara J. Kaplan, said the project had "substantial merit" and "that there is an opportunity here we should not pass up". She cited that the project would create 12,000 jobs and US$15 million in tax revenue. Opponent Lee Copeland
, dean of the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Fine Arts
, said the height limit was "a kind of Philadelphia golden rule which is part of the spirit and tradition of our past". The meeting ended with the commission deciding to prevent buildings taller than City Hall while it studies the issue for one year. In May, the Philadelphia City Council
announced its support for the project because of the jobs it would create. On June 13, Philadelphia mayor Wilson Goode came out in favor of the project. He proposed the creation of a special ordinance that would allow buildings taller than City Hall between 16th and 20th Streets and the north side of Chestnut Street
and the south side of John F. Kennedy Boulevard
. Upset at the mayor's support for the project, Edmund Bacon resigned from a commission about Philadelphia's future. Bacon called the complex "a total disaster", adding that, "It absolutely decimates the scale of Center City, and once it's been done, there's no stopping it."
on December 12 with a ceremony that included a laser light show and Mayor Goode who said the tower "breaks the status quo of the city and says we arrived". On March 27 Robert Heenan, Jr., a 22 year old glazier
, fell 42-stories to his death after his safety line snapped when it got caught in a hoist mechanism. A month later, on May 27, the tower's spire
was placed at the top of the building. Placing the spire was delayed when it was discovered sections of the spire didn't align with each other and had to be re-welded. Conrail
became the first major tenant to lease space when it signed its lease in December 1985, but by April 1987 only twenty percent of the building was leased. Conrail became the first tenant to move in when the building officially opened on August 17.
One Liberty Place was only about one-third full by the end of 1987 when plans for Two Liberty Place were given the green light after Cigna
agreed to relocate its 4,400 employees from 15 different Philadelphia buildings to the skyscraper. Cigna agreed to lease the entire 1200000 square feet (111,483.6 m²) of Two Liberty Place on December 14. Phase 2 of the complex broke ground on February 16, 1988 with a ceremony that included thousands of purple, blue, and white balloons being released. Phase two of the project consisted of the remainder of the Liberty Place complex, the Two Liberty Tower, a Ritz-Carlton
Hotel, a two-story shopping mall, and a parking garage. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel opened on November 5, 1990 and the shopping mall, called Shops at Liberty Place, opened a week later on November 13. The mall opened during an economic downturn and a quarter of the mall space was vacant. Fifty stores and fourteen restaurants leased space when the mall opened. Two Liberty Place finished construction by the end of the year.
In 1990, Rouse sold his interest in One Liberty Place to Japanese insurance company Chyoda. Also, in 1995, the owners of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, which included Rouse, defaulted
on its US$64 million loan. After a sheriff's auction on December 4 of that year, the creditor, Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association
, took ownership of the property. The hotel again changed ownership in 1996 when Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association agreed to sell all its hotel properties to Starwood Lodging Trust. In 1999 One Liberty Place, Two Liberty Place, and the Shops of Liberty Place were put up for sale. At the time, One Liberty Place was owned by Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association and Chyoda. Two Liberty Place was owned by a partnership led by Willard Rouse called 1650 Market Associates and the Shops of Liberty Place was owned jointly by the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association and 1650 Market Associates. One Liberty Place and the Shops at Liberty Place were sold later that year to Sunbelt Management a Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
firm owned by German businessman Hugo Mann
. Sunbelt acquired the property for a bargain price of US$250 million. The bargain price was a result of One Liberty Place being 99.9 percent leased at the time of the sale and the majority of long-term leases signed when the real estate market was depressed. Rents for One Liberty Place were around US$10 lower than competing office buildings. Two Liberty Place was struggling to find a buyer because it was uncertain Cigna would renew its lease which would expire in 2006.
In January 1999, the Ritz-Carlton announced it would not be renewing its lease at its Liberty Place location and would be relocating to Two Mellon Center. St. Regis hotel took its place later that year. The St. Regis wasn't able to maintain the same room rates as Philadelphia's other luxury hotels and was re-branded as the Westin
in February 2000, now focusing on business travelers. In June 2002, Two Liberty Place was sold to the Shorenstein Company
of San Francisco. The sale was reported to be for $US200 million and included Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association continuing as first-mortgage lender. On April 26, 2004, Cigna announced it would remain in Two Liberty Place after getting millions of dollars in incentives from the city and state, though would be leasing less space. Now with 800000 square feet (74,322.4 m²) vacant, Shorenstein Co. and Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association sold their interests in Two Liberty Place to private equity firm America's Capital Partners and its partner residential developer Falcone Group for US$151 million.
Shortly after buying Two Liberty Place, America's Capital Partners announced it would be converting the top floors of the skyscraper into luxury condominium
s. The Residences at Two Liberty officially opened March 7 with the sample units finished. Conversion of the upper floors on the remaining 122 condominiums began that same month. In 2008 newly moved in condominium owners were outraged at the plan of putting two Unisys
signs with illuminated 9.8 feet (3 m) high red letters more than halfway up two sides of Two Liberty Place. Information technology company, Unisys Corp., was planning to make four floors of the skyscraper its corporate headquarters and the signs were part of its plan to re-brand the company. The Philadelphia Zoning Board eventually rejected the sign idea and Unisys ended up not moving its headquarters out of Blue Bell, Pennsylvania
, noting the economy, and not rejection of the sign, was the basis for the decision.
The Westin Philadelphia was sold by Starwood Hotels in November 2005 to hotel owner HEI Hospitality. In 2006, HEI Hospitality spent US$10 million on renovating the hotel which included updating the decor and adding wireless internet access
. On June 18, 2007, a new skyscraper, the Comcast Center was topped off and officially became the tallest building in the city. The Comcast Center ended One Liberty Place's 19-year place as Philadelphia's tallest building. In September 2009, Eola Capital acquired America's Capital Partners' entire office building portfolio, including the office portion of Two Liberty Place. Parkway Properties Inc. bought Eola's property-management business and office properties in 2011. The Teacher Retirement System of Texas
was also part of the transaction would own 70 percent of the building while Parkway would hold 19 percent stake in the building. Utah Retirement Systems, a public pension fund, also owns a 11 percent stake in the skyscraper.
designed One Liberty Place and was a consulting architect for the rest of the complex. The two skyscrapers are constructed with a steel structure held up with eight large pillars on the buildings' perimeters and a central core that contains the elevators. The perimeter pillars are connected to keep the towers rigid while allowing for the maximum amount of interior space. The exterior of the towers are made up of granite
, aluminium, and glass panels, with the amount of glass used increasing at the towers' spires. The the majority of the exteriors on the lower levels and rest of the complex is made of stone.
and 17th Streets, One Liberty Place is 61 stories tall. At 945 feet (288 m), it is the second tallest building in Philadelphia. One Liberty Place contains 1200000 square feet (111,483.6 m²) with an average floor size of 24000 square feet (2,229.7 m²). Helmut Jahn is an admirer of American eclecticism
and Art Deco
and when designing Liberty Place he used New York City's Chrysler Building
as a reference. Rouse said that he calls it the "Son of Chrysler" because of the similarity in design. The most notable similarity to the Chrysler Building is the 146 feet (44.5 m) tall spire that crowns the skyscraper. One liberty Place's spire is made up of four gable
d setbacks
leading up to a 2-ton, 47 feet (14.3 m) long steel spire on top. Instead of curved setbacks like On the Chrysler Building, One Liberty Place's setbacks use straight angular edges.
Like the Chrysler Building, One Liberty Place has a square shape with recessed corners. The facade is also inspired by the Chrysler Building, using glass and aluminum to invoke the Chrysler Building's horizontal and vertical shapes along the building's core. The facade's color ranges between grays, silver, and metallic blues and uses horizontal bands of granite and glass to de-emphasize the visual impact of the height of the tower. The building's lobby features white and gray marble
imported from Italy. The elevator lobby and the elevator cabs echo the shape of the building's spire while the elevator doors feature abstraction of One Liberty Place itself.
Two Liberty Place is based on the same influences as its counterpart tower and uses a similar shape and matching facade. Located at the corner of 16th and Chestnut Streets, Two Liberty Place is 847 feet (258.2 m) tall making it the third tallest building in the city. The 58-story tall skyscraper is shorter than its counterpart, but also contains about 1200000 square feet (111,483.6 m²) of space. Two Liberty Place's spire contains less gabled setbacks giving the tower a more squat appearance, but allowing about the same amount of interior space as One Liberty Place. The design of the spire was a result of the building's intended tenant Cigna which wanted the large floor space.
Floors 37, 40 to 57 is about 300000 square feet (27,870.9 m²) of condominium space. Floors 38, 39 and 58 are mechanical floor
s. The 122 luxury condominiums, called The Residences at Two Liberty, are the highest in the city with condominiums located between 546 feet (166.4 m) and 765 feet (233.2 m) above ground level. Every condominium unit features a cappuccino
machine, Italian-made Snaidero kitchen cabinetry, Miele
appliances, and concierge service. The 37th floor contains a full spa
and sauna
, pool, and a gourmet restaurant called R2L which opened on January 21, 2010. The restaurant occupies 11000 square feet (1,021.9 m²) and can seat almost 300. The condominiums range in price between US$800,000 for a 40th floor single bedroom to more than US$15 millions for a 7200 square feet (668.9 m²) penthouse
. Two Liberty Place's lobby was originally specifically designed for Cigna which used to lease the entire building. After Cigna reduced its presence in the tower, three separate lobbies were created, each with its own elevator bank, one for Cigna, one for the other corporate tenants, and the third for the residents.
The Shops at Liberty Place contains 143000 square feet (13,285.1 m²). The two story mall faces Chestnut Street between 16th and 17th Street. The mall was designed to contain between 80 and 85 stores, including a food court area. The mall's main feature is a round atrium
that is topped by a large glass dome
. The dome allows in a large amount of light into the mall and allows views of the Liberty Place towers and the PNC Bank Building
. The glass dome is based on the main conservatory at the New York Botanical Garden
.
. While critics were upset the building would be taller than City Hall, flat topped office buildings nearly as tall had surrounded much of City Hall. With the construction of One Liberty Place, Philadelphia now had a definable skyline that it hadn't had since City Hall was obscured. The breaking of the gentlemen's agreement paved way for other skyscrapers taller than City Hall. After One Liberty Place was approved, a building boom of tall office skyscrapers in Center City such as the Mellon Bank Center and Commerce Square
. This construction boom, which lasted until the early 1990s, turned the West Market Street district into the city's premiere office location and gave what architecture critic Paul Goldberger
called "one of the most appealing skylines of any major American city". The success of Liberty Place, along with helping expose an extortion scheme involving a city councilman, helped turned developer Willard Rouse into "Public Hero No. 1" in Philadelphia during the late 1980s.
On April 5, 1984 The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote "By 'gentlemen's agreement' (the statue of William Penn atop City Hall) remains highest. It is a supremacy that must be maintained, for philosophical and aesthetic and, indeed, economic reasons - density caused by towering skyscrapers is one of the surest ways to render a downtown ruinously overbuilt while its fringes wither." In 1990, the Inquirer took it all back, noting that Rouse transformed Philadelphia's skyline to near universal acclaim. In 1987, Paul Goldberger called One Liberty Place the best skyscraper Helmut Jahn has ever designed and the best skyscraper built in Philadelphia since the PSFS Building
. Goldberger noted that "The skyline of Philadelphia, far from being destroyed by One Liberty Place, is in fact given new life by this building. The skyline has been transformed from one of the flattest of any American city to one of the richest." He praised the shape which he said "strikes a remarkable balance between dignity and verve". He was critical that the building was too busy with too many panels and stripes, but acknowledge it was more restrained than other of Helmut Jahn's buildings.
Two Liberty Place was less warmly received by critics. Goldberger said that despite the similarity in appearance Two Liberty was "as much of a slab as a tower, with a spire that looks as if it was plopped awkwardly on top instead of having grown naturally out of the building's overall form." He also criticized giving One Liberty Place a smaller, similar twin which he said gives the complex an odd look.
A story of the "curse" of Billy Penn
sprang up after Philadelphia sports teams failed to win championship games after the construction of One Liberty Place. The "curse" stated that no Philadelphia sports team will win a championship while a building rises taller than the statue of William Penn on City Hall. Construction of the Comcast Center included a small statue of William Penn on the tower's highest point and in 2008 the Philadelphia Phillies
won the World Series
, effectively disproving the "curse".
Other tenants include American International Group
which leases 123500 square feet (11,473.5 m²), global management consulting firm ZS Associates
, and pharmaceutical consulting firm Campbell Alliance
. Brokerage firm Smith Barney leases 49394 square feet (4,588.9 m²) at One Liberty Place on the 42nd and 43rd floors, high-profile plaintiff law firm Saltz, Mongeluzzi, Barrett and Bendesky leases space on the 52nd floor, Merrill Lynch
leases space on the 29th floor, and JPMorgan Chase began leasing space on the 47th floor in 1998.
New tenants in the 2000s include Pelino & Lentz which leased 32770 square feet (3,044.4 m²) in 2005 and Clark Capital which moved into 11000 square feet (1,021.9 m²) on the 53rd floor in January 2006. Kleinbard Bell & Brecker leased 20400 square feet (1,895.2 m²) on the 46th floor in 2007 and Parente leased 50000 square feet (4,645.2 m²) on the 44th and 45th floors in 2008. Past tenants include Pennrose Properties LLC, intellectual property law firm Woodcock Washburn, Logan Capital Management, Chubb Corp.
, law firm Duane Morris
, and Cigna which leased 55000 square feet (5,109.7 m²) until it consolidated space in Two Liberty Place in 2006.
Law firm Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott moved into 50000 square feet (4,645.2 m²) in January 2007 and BremnerDuke Healthcare moved into the tower in 2008. Unisys Corp. originally intended to make Two Liberty Place its headquarters but never moved in. The nearly 90000 square feet (8,361.3 m²) of space Unisys leases is being subleased to others. Tenants subleasing from Unisys include real estate brokerage firm Studley, Inc.
which previously had leased space in One Liberty Place. Studley Inc. occupies 6842 square feet (635.6 m²) on the 34th floor and moved into the skyscraper in 2010. Law firm Duffy and Keenan leased space in 2008, Grosvenor Capital Management
leased 16275 square feet (1,512 m²) also in 2008, law firm Kutak Rock
leased space on the 28th floor in July 2009, and in 2009 law firm Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney
moved into Two Liberty Place, occupying 77018 square feet (7,155.2 m²) of the 31st, 32nd, and 33rd floors of the tower. Other tenants include law firm Elliott Greenleaf and Republic First Bancorp.
Notable residents of The Residences at Two Liberty include Tom Knox
who paid US$7.68 million for a condominium. Another notable resident is Chase Lenfest, son of media entrepreneur H. F. Lenfest
who paid US$7.68 million for a penthouse. Bon Jovi
lead guitarist Richie Sambora
spent US$3.58 million for a luxury condominium of the 52nd floor. Other residents include Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels
, Philadelphia 76ers
player Andre Iguodala
, and executives from Comcast
, GlaxoSmithKline
, and Cigna.
Gentlemen's agreement
A gentlemen's agreement is an informal agreement between two or more parties. It may be written, oral, or simply understood as part of an unspoken agreement by convention or through mutually beneficial etiquette. The essence of a gentlemen's agreement is that it relies upon the honor of the parties...
" not to build any structure in Center City
Center City, Philadelphia
Center City, or Downtown Philadelphia includes the central business district and central neighborhoods of the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. As of 2005, its population of over 88,000 made it the third most populous downtown in the United States, after New York City's and Chicago's...
higher than the statue of William Penn
William Penn
William Penn was an English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony and the future Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He was an early champion of democracy and religious freedom, notable for his good relations and successful...
on top of Philadelphia City Hall
Philadelphia City Hall
Philadelphia City Hall is the house of government for the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At , including the statue, it is the world's second-tallest masonry building, only shorter than Mole Antonelliana in Turin...
. The tradition lasted until 1984 when developer Willard G. Rouse III
Willard Rouse
Willard G. Rouse III was an American real estate developer.Rouse was the developer of One Liberty Place, designed by Helmut Jahn, the first structure in Philadelphia to exceed the traditional height limitation established by the top of the statue of William Penn atop Philadelphia City Hall...
of Rouse & Associates
Liberty Property Trust
Liberty Property Trust , based in Malvern, Pennsylvania, USA is a real estate investment trust. Liberty Property Trust owns over of office and industrial space in 20 markets throughout the United States and the United Kingdom .-History:...
announced plans to build an office building complex that included two towers taller than City Hall. There was a great amount of opposition to the construction of the towers with critics believing breaking the height limit would lead to construction of many more tall skyscrapers, ruining the livability and charm of Center City. Despite the opposition, construction of One Liberty Place was approved and the first phase of the project began in 1985 and was completed in 1987. When One Liberty Place was completed, it was the tallest skyscraper in Philadelphia.
Phase 2 of the project included Two Liberty Place, a hotel, a shopping mall, and a parking garage. Construction began 1988 after Cigna
CIGNA
Cigna , headquartered in Bloomfield, Connecticut, is a global health services company, owing to its expanding international footprint and the fact that it provides administrative services only to approximately 80 percent of its clients...
agreed to lease the entirety of the skyscraper. Construction was completed in 1990, making Two Liberty Place the second-tallest building in the city. The two towers held their place as first and second tallest buildings in Philadelphia until the Comcast Center was topped off
Topping out
In building construction, topping out is a ceremony held when the last beam is placed at the top of a building. The term may also refer to the overall completion of the building's structure, or an intermediate point, such as when the roof is dried in...
in 2007. Liberty Place was received enthusiastically by critics and led to the construction of other tall skyscrapers giving Philadelphia what architecture critic Paul Goldberger
Paul Goldberger
Paul Goldberger is the Architecture Critic for The New Yorker, where since 1997 he has written the magazine's celebrated "Sky Line" column. He also holds the Joseph Urban Chair in Design and Architecture at The New School in New York City...
called "one of the most appealing skylines of any major American city".
Liberty Place was designed by architect Helmut Jahn
Helmut Jahn
Helmut Jahn is a German-American architect, well known for designs such as the US$800 million Sony Center on the Potsdamer Platz, Berlin, the Messeturm in Frankfurt and the One Liberty Place, formerly the tallest building in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Suvarnabhumi Airport, an international...
and his firm Murphy/Jahn. The steel and blue glass skyscrapers were heavily influenced by New York City's Chrysler Building
Chrysler Building
The Chrysler Building is an Art Deco style skyscraper in New York City, located on the east side of Manhattan in the Turtle Bay area at the intersection of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue. Standing at , it was the world's tallest building for 11 months before it was surpassed by the Empire State...
. The major influence is the spire made of gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
d angular setbacks
Setback (architecture)
A setback, sometimes called step-back, is a step-like recession in a wall. Setbacks were initially used for structural reasons, but now are often mandated by land use codes.-History:...
. Two Liberty Place's spire is shorter and squatter, a design influenced by the needs of tenant Cigna. In the 2000s Cigna reduced its presence in the tower, which led to the owners converting the upper floors into 122 luxury condominium
Condominium
A condominium, or condo, is the form of housing tenure and other real property where a specified part of a piece of real estate is individually owned while use of and access to common facilities in the piece such as hallways, heating system, elevators, exterior areas is executed under legal rights...
s. Below the two towers is the 289 room Westin hotel
Westin Hotels
Westin Hotels & Resorts are an upscale hotel chain owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. As of 2011, Westin operated over 160 hotels in 37 countries.-History:...
and the 143000 square feet (13,285.1 m²) Shops at Liberty Place. The main feature of the mall is a round atrium
Atrium (architecture)
In modern architecture, an atrium is a large open space, often several stories high and having a glazed roof and/or large windows, often situated within a larger multistory building and often located immediately beyond the main entrance doors...
topped by a large glass dome
Dome
A dome is a structural element of architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a sphere. Dome structures made of various materials have a long architectural lineage extending into prehistory....
.
Planning and controversy
Gentlemen's agreement
A gentlemen's agreement is an informal agreement between two or more parties. It may be written, oral, or simply understood as part of an unspoken agreement by convention or through mutually beneficial etiquette. The essence of a gentlemen's agreement is that it relies upon the honor of the parties...
" not to build any structure in Center City
Center City, Philadelphia
Center City, or Downtown Philadelphia includes the central business district and central neighborhoods of the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. As of 2005, its population of over 88,000 made it the third most populous downtown in the United States, after New York City's and Chicago's...
higher than the statue of William Penn
William Penn
William Penn was an English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony and the future Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He was an early champion of democracy and religious freedom, notable for his good relations and successful...
on top of Philadelphia City Hall
Philadelphia City Hall
Philadelphia City Hall is the house of government for the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At , including the statue, it is the world's second-tallest masonry building, only shorter than Mole Antonelliana in Turin...
. The tradition lasted until the 1980s when developer Willard G. Rouse III
Willard Rouse
Willard G. Rouse III was an American real estate developer.Rouse was the developer of One Liberty Place, designed by Helmut Jahn, the first structure in Philadelphia to exceed the traditional height limitation established by the top of the statue of William Penn atop Philadelphia City Hall...
of Rouse & Associates
Liberty Property Trust
Liberty Property Trust , based in Malvern, Pennsylvania, USA is a real estate investment trust. Liberty Property Trust owns over of office and industrial space in 20 markets throughout the United States and the United Kingdom .-History:...
announced plans to build an office building complex that included two towers taller than City Hall. Prior to any development plans, Rouse wanted to acquire prime real estate in Philadelphia and he eyed a block in Center City occupied by parking lots and several small buildings. The Oliver Tyrone Pulver Corp. also eyed the land for development and the company and Rouse both vied for the block of land by buying small lots throughout the site. Neither developer was able to acquire enough contiguous space to build a large office building, so after a lawsuit and failed negotiations, the two developers agreed to an organized bidding war for each other's properties. Under the rules agreed upon, the highest bidder would get the option to buy the other's property. Rouse won the auction in 1983 for an undisclosed amount. Originally, Rouse envisioned a $US150 million 38-story
Storey
A storey or story is any level part of a building that could be used by people...
skyscraper but on April 5, 1984 Rouse officially announced his plans to build a complex that would include two office towers, one 65 stories the other 55 stories, a hotel, and retail space. Rumors and local lore speculate Rouse spent so much money buying the land that he had to build something that justified the expense.
Opposition to the project had begun before the April 5 official announcement at a Planning Commission meeting. The meeting was attended by 300 people and a number of attendees were opposed or skeptical of the idea that the skyscrapers would be taller than City Hall. Critics feared breaking the "gentlemen's agreement" would lead to the development of more tall skyscrapers that would end up dwarfing City Hall and changing the makeup of the city. Critic of the plan and former Philadelphia city planner Edmund Bacon said, "Once [the height ceiling is] smashed, it's gone." A phone poll conducted by the Philadelphia Daily News
Philadelphia Daily News
The Philadelphia Daily News is a tabloid newspaper that serves Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The newspaper is owned by Philadelphia Media Holdings which also owns Philadelphia's other major newspaper The Philadelphia Inquirer. The Daily News began publishing on March 31, 1925, under...
had callers opposing breaking the height barrier by 3,809 to 1,822 and Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer is a morning daily newspaper that serves the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area of the United States. The newspaper was founded by John R. Walker and John Norvell in June 1829 as The Pennsylvania Inquirer and is the third-oldest surviving daily newspaper in the...
editorial feared the skyscrapers would ruin downtown. The location of City Hall was intended as the city's center from the city's founding and critics feared taller buildings would move the city's center away from City Hall. Critics of breaking the height ceiling favored the smaller scale of the cityscape and felt that a Philadelphia with skyscrapers would affect the livability of the city. Edmund Bacon and Center City civic leaders said that Philadelphia owes its livability and charm to its low profile. Chairman of the City Planning Commission, Graham S. Finney, noted that there was a general feeling that the sky above the city was considered a public space. Supporters of breaking the height limitation noted that the project would bring needed jobs and business to Center City and that shorter buildings were already blocking views of City Hall from certain directions.
A planning commission meeting was held on May 3 to decide if they would approve skyscrapers that break the height limit. Executive director of the commissioners, Barbara J. Kaplan, said the project had "substantial merit" and "that there is an opportunity here we should not pass up". She cited that the project would create 12,000 jobs and US$15 million in tax revenue. Opponent Lee Copeland
Lee Copeland
Lee G. Copeland is a leading Seattle architect and urban designer. He served as Dean of the University of Washington College of Architecture and Urban Planning from 1972 to 1979 and thereafter as Dean of the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Fine Arts from 1979 to 1991...
, dean of the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Fine Arts
University of Pennsylvania School of Design
The University of Pennsylvania School of Design is the design school of the University of Pennsylvania. It is currently ranked 3rd in urban planning by The Best Colleges, 10th in urban planning by Planetizen, and 8th in architecture by DesignIntelligence...
, said the height limit was "a kind of Philadelphia golden rule which is part of the spirit and tradition of our past". The meeting ended with the commission deciding to prevent buildings taller than City Hall while it studies the issue for one year. In May, the Philadelphia City Council
Philadelphia City Council
The Philadelphia City Council, the legislative body of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, consists of ten members elected by district and seven members elected at-large. The council president is elected by the members from among their number...
announced its support for the project because of the jobs it would create. On June 13, Philadelphia mayor Wilson Goode came out in favor of the project. He proposed the creation of a special ordinance that would allow buildings taller than City Hall between 16th and 20th Streets and the north side of Chestnut Street
Chestnut Street (Philadelphia)
Chestnut Street is a major historic street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Originally named Wynne Street because Thomas Wynne's home was there. William Penn renamed it Chestnut Street in 1684. It runs east–west from the Delaware River waterfront in downtown Philadelphia through Center City and West...
and the south side of John F. Kennedy Boulevard
Pennsylvania Route 3
Pennsylvania Route 3 is a state highway located in the southeastern portion of Pennsylvania. The route connects West Chester with Philadelphia. The divided highway that comprises much of its route is the West Chester Pike, built as a turnpike by the Philadelphia and West Chester Turnpike Company...
. Upset at the mayor's support for the project, Edmund Bacon resigned from a commission about Philadelphia's future. Bacon called the complex "a total disaster", adding that, "It absolutely decimates the scale of Center City, and once it's been done, there's no stopping it."
Construction
Phase 1 of the complex, called One Liberty Place, broke ground on May 13, 1985. One Liberty Place would be the tallest structure of the complex. The skyscraper became the tallest structure in Philadelphia on September 10, 1986 when the first 25 feet (7.6 m) long steel columns of the skyscraper's 44th floor were installed. One Liberty Place was topped offTopping out
In building construction, topping out is a ceremony held when the last beam is placed at the top of a building. The term may also refer to the overall completion of the building's structure, or an intermediate point, such as when the roof is dried in...
on December 12 with a ceremony that included a laser light show and Mayor Goode who said the tower "breaks the status quo of the city and says we arrived". On March 27 Robert Heenan, Jr., a 22 year old glazier
Glazier
A Glazier is a construction professional who selects, cuts, installs, replaces, and removes residential, commercial, and artistic glass. Glaziers also install aluminum storefront frames and entrances, glass handrails and balustrades, shower enclosures, curtain wall framing and glass and mirror...
, fell 42-stories to his death after his safety line snapped when it got caught in a hoist mechanism. A month later, on May 27, the tower's spire
Spire
A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass....
was placed at the top of the building. Placing the spire was delayed when it was discovered sections of the spire didn't align with each other and had to be re-welded. Conrail
Consolidated Rail Corporation
The Consolidated Rail Corporation, commonly known as Conrail , was the primary Class I railroad in the Northeast U.S. between 1976 and 1999. The federal government created it to take over the potentially profitable lines of bankrupt carriers, including the Penn Central Transportation Company and...
became the first major tenant to lease space when it signed its lease in December 1985, but by April 1987 only twenty percent of the building was leased. Conrail became the first tenant to move in when the building officially opened on August 17.
One Liberty Place was only about one-third full by the end of 1987 when plans for Two Liberty Place were given the green light after Cigna
CIGNA
Cigna , headquartered in Bloomfield, Connecticut, is a global health services company, owing to its expanding international footprint and the fact that it provides administrative services only to approximately 80 percent of its clients...
agreed to relocate its 4,400 employees from 15 different Philadelphia buildings to the skyscraper. Cigna agreed to lease the entire 1200000 square feet (111,483.6 m²) of Two Liberty Place on December 14. Phase 2 of the complex broke ground on February 16, 1988 with a ceremony that included thousands of purple, blue, and white balloons being released. Phase two of the project consisted of the remainder of the Liberty Place complex, the Two Liberty Tower, a Ritz-Carlton
Ritz-Carlton
The Ritz-Carlton is a brand of luxury hotels and resorts with 75 properties located in major cities and resorts in 24 countries worldwide...
Hotel, a two-story shopping mall, and a parking garage. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel opened on November 5, 1990 and the shopping mall, called Shops at Liberty Place, opened a week later on November 13. The mall opened during an economic downturn and a quarter of the mall space was vacant. Fifty stores and fourteen restaurants leased space when the mall opened. Two Liberty Place finished construction by the end of the year.
1990 - present
Default (finance)
In finance, default occurs when a debtor has not met his or her legal obligations according to the debt contract, e.g. has not made a scheduled payment, or has violated a loan covenant of the debt contract. A default is the failure to pay back a loan. Default may occur if the debtor is either...
on its US$64 million loan. After a sheriff's auction on December 4 of that year, the creditor, Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association
TIAA-CREF
Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association – College Retirement Equities Fund is a Fortune 100 financial services organization that is the leading retirement provider for people who work in the academic, research, medical and cultural fields...
, took ownership of the property. The hotel again changed ownership in 1996 when Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association agreed to sell all its hotel properties to Starwood Lodging Trust. In 1999 One Liberty Place, Two Liberty Place, and the Shops of Liberty Place were put up for sale. At the time, One Liberty Place was owned by Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association and Chyoda. Two Liberty Place was owned by a partnership led by Willard Rouse called 1650 Market Associates and the Shops of Liberty Place was owned jointly by the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association and 1650 Market Associates. One Liberty Place and the Shops at Liberty Place were sold later that year to Sunbelt Management a Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Palm Beach Gardens is a city in Palm Beach County in the U.S. state of Florida. The city is in the center of a rapidly-developing area north of West Palm Beach in the northern part of the county and the South Florida metropolitan area. , the population was 48,452...
firm owned by German businessman Hugo Mann
Hugo Mann
Hugo Mann was a German businessman.He was born in Laupheim. As a youth, Hugo Mann worked at his grandfather's shop in Karlsruhe where he started his own furniture business in 1938....
. Sunbelt acquired the property for a bargain price of US$250 million. The bargain price was a result of One Liberty Place being 99.9 percent leased at the time of the sale and the majority of long-term leases signed when the real estate market was depressed. Rents for One Liberty Place were around US$10 lower than competing office buildings. Two Liberty Place was struggling to find a buyer because it was uncertain Cigna would renew its lease which would expire in 2006.
In January 1999, the Ritz-Carlton announced it would not be renewing its lease at its Liberty Place location and would be relocating to Two Mellon Center. St. Regis hotel took its place later that year. The St. Regis wasn't able to maintain the same room rates as Philadelphia's other luxury hotels and was re-branded as the Westin
Westin Hotels
Westin Hotels & Resorts are an upscale hotel chain owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. As of 2011, Westin operated over 160 hotels in 37 countries.-History:...
in February 2000, now focusing on business travelers. In June 2002, Two Liberty Place was sold to the Shorenstein Company
Shorenstein Company
The Shorenstein Company, LLC, is one of the United States' largest and oldest privately owned real estate firms, owning interests in, or managing, some 20 million square feet of office space...
of San Francisco. The sale was reported to be for $US200 million and included Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association continuing as first-mortgage lender. On April 26, 2004, Cigna announced it would remain in Two Liberty Place after getting millions of dollars in incentives from the city and state, though would be leasing less space. Now with 800000 square feet (74,322.4 m²) vacant, Shorenstein Co. and Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association sold their interests in Two Liberty Place to private equity firm America's Capital Partners and its partner residential developer Falcone Group for US$151 million.
Shortly after buying Two Liberty Place, America's Capital Partners announced it would be converting the top floors of the skyscraper into luxury condominium
Condominium
A condominium, or condo, is the form of housing tenure and other real property where a specified part of a piece of real estate is individually owned while use of and access to common facilities in the piece such as hallways, heating system, elevators, exterior areas is executed under legal rights...
s. The Residences at Two Liberty officially opened March 7 with the sample units finished. Conversion of the upper floors on the remaining 122 condominiums began that same month. In 2008 newly moved in condominium owners were outraged at the plan of putting two Unisys
Unisys
Unisys Corporation , headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, United States, and incorporated in Delaware, is a long established business whose core products now involves computing and networking.-History:...
signs with illuminated 9.8 feet (3 m) high red letters more than halfway up two sides of Two Liberty Place. Information technology company, Unisys Corp., was planning to make four floors of the skyscraper its corporate headquarters and the signs were part of its plan to re-brand the company. The Philadelphia Zoning Board eventually rejected the sign idea and Unisys ended up not moving its headquarters out of Blue Bell, Pennsylvania
Blue Bell, Pennsylvania
Blue Bell is a census-designated place in Whitpain Township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 6,067....
, noting the economy, and not rejection of the sign, was the basis for the decision.
The Westin Philadelphia was sold by Starwood Hotels in November 2005 to hotel owner HEI Hospitality. In 2006, HEI Hospitality spent US$10 million on renovating the hotel which included updating the decor and adding wireless internet access
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...
. On June 18, 2007, a new skyscraper, the Comcast Center was topped off and officially became the tallest building in the city. The Comcast Center ended One Liberty Place's 19-year place as Philadelphia's tallest building. In September 2009, Eola Capital acquired America's Capital Partners' entire office building portfolio, including the office portion of Two Liberty Place. Parkway Properties Inc. bought Eola's property-management business and office properties in 2011. The Teacher Retirement System of Texas
Teacher Retirement System of Texas
Teacher Retirement System of Texas is a public pension plan of the State of Texas. Established more than 70 years ago, TRS provides retirement and related benefits for those employed by the public schools, colleges, and universities supported by the State of Texas and manages a more than $107...
was also part of the transaction would own 70 percent of the building while Parkway would hold 19 percent stake in the building. Utah Retirement Systems, a public pension fund, also owns a 11 percent stake in the skyscraper.
Architecture
Liberty Place is a building complex consisting of two skyscrapers, a hotel, parking garage, and a shopping mall that connects the structures. Located in Center City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Liberty Place was designed by Chicago based architectural firm Murphy/Jahn. Architect Helmut JahnHelmut Jahn
Helmut Jahn is a German-American architect, well known for designs such as the US$800 million Sony Center on the Potsdamer Platz, Berlin, the Messeturm in Frankfurt and the One Liberty Place, formerly the tallest building in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Suvarnabhumi Airport, an international...
designed One Liberty Place and was a consulting architect for the rest of the complex. The two skyscrapers are constructed with a steel structure held up with eight large pillars on the buildings' perimeters and a central core that contains the elevators. The perimeter pillars are connected to keep the towers rigid while allowing for the maximum amount of interior space. The exterior of the towers are made up of granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
, aluminium, and glass panels, with the amount of glass used increasing at the towers' spires. The the majority of the exteriors on the lower levels and rest of the complex is made of stone.
One Liberty Place
Located on the corner of MarketMarket Street (Philadelphia)
Market Street, originally known as High Street, is a major east–west street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For the majority of its length, it serves as Pennsylvania Route 3....
and 17th Streets, One Liberty Place is 61 stories tall. At 945 feet (288 m), it is the second tallest building in Philadelphia. One Liberty Place contains 1200000 square feet (111,483.6 m²) with an average floor size of 24000 square feet (2,229.7 m²). Helmut Jahn is an admirer of American eclecticism
Eclecticism
Eclecticism is a conceptual approach that does not hold rigidly to a single paradigm or set of assumptions, but instead draws upon multiple theories, styles, or ideas to gain complementary insights into a subject, or applies different theories in particular cases.It can sometimes seem inelegant or...
and Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
and when designing Liberty Place he used New York City's Chrysler Building
Chrysler Building
The Chrysler Building is an Art Deco style skyscraper in New York City, located on the east side of Manhattan in the Turtle Bay area at the intersection of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue. Standing at , it was the world's tallest building for 11 months before it was surpassed by the Empire State...
as a reference. Rouse said that he calls it the "Son of Chrysler" because of the similarity in design. The most notable similarity to the Chrysler Building is the 146 feet (44.5 m) tall spire that crowns the skyscraper. One liberty Place's spire is made up of four gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
d setbacks
Setback (architecture)
A setback, sometimes called step-back, is a step-like recession in a wall. Setbacks were initially used for structural reasons, but now are often mandated by land use codes.-History:...
leading up to a 2-ton, 47 feet (14.3 m) long steel spire on top. Instead of curved setbacks like On the Chrysler Building, One Liberty Place's setbacks use straight angular edges.
Like the Chrysler Building, One Liberty Place has a square shape with recessed corners. The facade is also inspired by the Chrysler Building, using glass and aluminum to invoke the Chrysler Building's horizontal and vertical shapes along the building's core. The facade's color ranges between grays, silver, and metallic blues and uses horizontal bands of granite and glass to de-emphasize the visual impact of the height of the tower. The building's lobby features white and gray marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
imported from Italy. The elevator lobby and the elevator cabs echo the shape of the building's spire while the elevator doors feature abstraction of One Liberty Place itself.
Two Liberty Place
Floors 37, 40 to 57 is about 300000 square feet (27,870.9 m²) of condominium space. Floors 38, 39 and 58 are mechanical floor
Mechanical floor
A mechanical floor, mechanical penthouse, or mechanical level is a storey of a high-rise building that is dedicated to mechanical and electronics equipment. "Mechanical" is the most commonly used term, but words such as utility, technical, service, and plant are also used...
s. The 122 luxury condominiums, called The Residences at Two Liberty, are the highest in the city with condominiums located between 546 feet (166.4 m) and 765 feet (233.2 m) above ground level. Every condominium unit features a cappuccino
Cappuccino
A cappuccino is an Italian coffee drink prepared with espresso, hot milk, and steamed-milk foam. The name comes from the Capuchin friars, referring to the colour of their habits.- Definition :...
machine, Italian-made Snaidero kitchen cabinetry, Miele
Miele
Miele is a manufacturer of high-end domestic appliances, commercial equipment and fitted kitchens, based in Gütersloh, Germany. Miele has always been a family-owned and -run company, founded in 1899 by Carl Miele and Reinhard Zinkann.-History:...
appliances, and concierge service. The 37th floor contains a full spa
Spa
The term spa is associated with water treatment which is also known as balneotherapy. Spa towns or spa resorts typically offer various health treatments. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters goes back to prehistoric times. Such practices have been popular worldwide, but are...
and sauna
Sauna
A sauna is a small room or house designed as a place to experience dry or wet heat sessions, or an establishment with one or more of these and auxiliary facilities....
, pool, and a gourmet restaurant called R2L which opened on January 21, 2010. The restaurant occupies 11000 square feet (1,021.9 m²) and can seat almost 300. The condominiums range in price between US$800,000 for a 40th floor single bedroom to more than US$15 millions for a 7200 square feet (668.9 m²) penthouse
Penthouse apartment
A penthouse apartment or penthouse is an apartment that is on one of the highest floors of an apartment building. Penthouses are typically differentiated from other apartments by luxury features.-History:...
. Two Liberty Place's lobby was originally specifically designed for Cigna which used to lease the entire building. After Cigna reduced its presence in the tower, three separate lobbies were created, each with its own elevator bank, one for Cigna, one for the other corporate tenants, and the third for the residents.
Hotel and mall
The Westin Philadelphia is a 14-story hotel located on 17th Street. The Westin contains 289 rooms, 14000 square feet (1,300.6 m²) of meeting space, a ballroom, and a restaurant. Near the entrance of the Westin on 17th Street is the entrance to Liberty Place's underground parking garage. The four-story garage, which also has an entrance on 16th street, has room for 750 cars.The Shops at Liberty Place contains 143000 square feet (13,285.1 m²). The two story mall faces Chestnut Street between 16th and 17th Street. The mall was designed to contain between 80 and 85 stores, including a food court area. The mall's main feature is a round atrium
Atrium (architecture)
In modern architecture, an atrium is a large open space, often several stories high and having a glazed roof and/or large windows, often situated within a larger multistory building and often located immediately beyond the main entrance doors...
that is topped by a large glass dome
Dome
A dome is a structural element of architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a sphere. Dome structures made of various materials have a long architectural lineage extending into prehistory....
. The dome allows in a large amount of light into the mall and allows views of the Liberty Place towers and the PNC Bank Building
PNC Bank Building
The PNC Bank Building is a high-rise office building located in the Market West neighborhood of center city Philadelphia. Constructed in 1983, it is 491 feet in height and has 39 stories. It houses offices for PNC Financial Services....
. The glass dome is based on the main conservatory at the New York Botanical Garden
New York Botanical Garden
- See also :* Education in New York City* List of botanical gardens in the United States* List of museums and cultural institutions in New York City- External links :* official website** blog*...
.
Reception and legacy
The construction of One Liberty Place radically changed the Philadelphia skylineSkyline
A skyline is the overall or partial view of a city's tall buildings and structures consisting of many skyscrapers in front of the sky in the background. It can also be described as the artificial horizon that a city's overall structure creates. Skylines serve as a kind of fingerprint of a city, as...
. While critics were upset the building would be taller than City Hall, flat topped office buildings nearly as tall had surrounded much of City Hall. With the construction of One Liberty Place, Philadelphia now had a definable skyline that it hadn't had since City Hall was obscured. The breaking of the gentlemen's agreement paved way for other skyscrapers taller than City Hall. After One Liberty Place was approved, a building boom of tall office skyscrapers in Center City such as the Mellon Bank Center and Commerce Square
Commerce Square
Commerce Square is a high-rise office building complex in Center City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Commerce Square consists of One and Two Commerce Square, two identical 41-story office towers high that surround a paved courtyard of...
. This construction boom, which lasted until the early 1990s, turned the West Market Street district into the city's premiere office location and gave what architecture critic Paul Goldberger
Paul Goldberger
Paul Goldberger is the Architecture Critic for The New Yorker, where since 1997 he has written the magazine's celebrated "Sky Line" column. He also holds the Joseph Urban Chair in Design and Architecture at The New School in New York City...
called "one of the most appealing skylines of any major American city". The success of Liberty Place, along with helping expose an extortion scheme involving a city councilman, helped turned developer Willard Rouse into "Public Hero No. 1" in Philadelphia during the late 1980s.
On April 5, 1984 The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote "By 'gentlemen's agreement' (the statue of William Penn atop City Hall) remains highest. It is a supremacy that must be maintained, for philosophical and aesthetic and, indeed, economic reasons - density caused by towering skyscrapers is one of the surest ways to render a downtown ruinously overbuilt while its fringes wither." In 1990, the Inquirer took it all back, noting that Rouse transformed Philadelphia's skyline to near universal acclaim. In 1987, Paul Goldberger called One Liberty Place the best skyscraper Helmut Jahn has ever designed and the best skyscraper built in Philadelphia since the PSFS Building
Loews Philadelphia Hotel
The Loews Philadelphia Hotel, also known as the Philadelphia Saving Fund Society Building, or PSFS Building, is a skyscraper in Center City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. A National Historic Landmark, the Loews Philadelphia was the first International style skyscraper built in the...
. Goldberger noted that "The skyline of Philadelphia, far from being destroyed by One Liberty Place, is in fact given new life by this building. The skyline has been transformed from one of the flattest of any American city to one of the richest." He praised the shape which he said "strikes a remarkable balance between dignity and verve". He was critical that the building was too busy with too many panels and stripes, but acknowledge it was more restrained than other of Helmut Jahn's buildings.
Two Liberty Place was less warmly received by critics. Goldberger said that despite the similarity in appearance Two Liberty was "as much of a slab as a tower, with a spire that looks as if it was plopped awkwardly on top instead of having grown naturally out of the building's overall form." He also criticized giving One Liberty Place a smaller, similar twin which he said gives the complex an odd look.
A story of the "curse" of Billy Penn
Curse of Billy Penn
The Curse of Billy Penn was an alleged curse used to explain the failure of major professional sports teams based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to win championships since the March 1987 construction of the One Liberty Place skyscraper, which exceeded the height of William Penn's statue atop...
sprang up after Philadelphia sports teams failed to win championship games after the construction of One Liberty Place. The "curse" stated that no Philadelphia sports team will win a championship while a building rises taller than the statue of William Penn on City Hall. Construction of the Comcast Center included a small statue of William Penn on the tower's highest point and in 2008 the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
won the World Series
2008 World Series
The 2008 World Series was the 104th World Series between the American and National Leagues for the championship of Major League Baseball. The Philadelphia Phillies as champions of the National League and the Tampa Bay Rays, as American League champions, competed to win four games out of a possible...
, effectively disproving the "curse".
One Liberty Place
One Liberty Place's first two tenants were railroad company Conrail and the law firm Hoyle, Morris & Kerr. Occupying the building between August 1987 and 1992, Conrail leased about 115000 square feet (10,683.8 m²). Hoyle, Morris & Kerr leased 63000 square feet (5,852.9 m²) and moved into the tower in November 1987. Law firm Reed Smith Shaw & McClay also moved into the skyscraper in 1987. The law firm leases 110538 square feet (10,269.3 m²) on floors 24 through 27. Another law firm, White and Williams, leased space in 1990. The firm occupies 120000 square feet (11,148.4 m²) on floors 15 through 20.Other tenants include American International Group
American International Group
American International Group, Inc. or AIG is an American multinational insurance corporation. Its corporate headquarters is located in the American International Building in New York City. The British headquarters office is on Fenchurch Street in London, continental Europe operations are based in...
which leases 123500 square feet (11,473.5 m²), global management consulting firm ZS Associates
ZS Associates
ZS Associates is a privately owned American consulting company, founded on September 21, 1983, by Kellogg School of Management marketing professors Andris A. Zoltners and Prabhakant Sinha. The company, which has grown to over 1,500 employees, has provided primarily sales and marketing consulting...
, and pharmaceutical consulting firm Campbell Alliance
Campbell Alliance
Campbell Alliance is a specialized management consulting firm that serves the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry. The firm is privately owned and was founded in 1997 by John Campbell, a former executive of GlaxoWellcome, now GlaxoSmithKline....
. Brokerage firm Smith Barney leases 49394 square feet (4,588.9 m²) at One Liberty Place on the 42nd and 43rd floors, high-profile plaintiff law firm Saltz, Mongeluzzi, Barrett and Bendesky leases space on the 52nd floor, Merrill Lynch
Merrill Lynch
Merrill Lynch is the wealth management division of Bank of America. With over 15,000 financial advisors and $2.2 trillion in client assets it is the world's largest brokerage. Formerly known as Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., prior to 2009 the firm was publicly owned and traded on the New York...
leases space on the 29th floor, and JPMorgan Chase began leasing space on the 47th floor in 1998.
New tenants in the 2000s include Pelino & Lentz which leased 32770 square feet (3,044.4 m²) in 2005 and Clark Capital which moved into 11000 square feet (1,021.9 m²) on the 53rd floor in January 2006. Kleinbard Bell & Brecker leased 20400 square feet (1,895.2 m²) on the 46th floor in 2007 and Parente leased 50000 square feet (4,645.2 m²) on the 44th and 45th floors in 2008. Past tenants include Pennrose Properties LLC, intellectual property law firm Woodcock Washburn, Logan Capital Management, Chubb Corp.
Chubb Corp.
Chubb Corporation is the eleventh largest property and casualty insurer in the United States, with over 120 offices located in 29 countries, and offers commercial, specialty, surety, and personal insurance services...
, law firm Duane Morris
Duane Morris
Duane Morris LLP is a law firm headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1904 as Duane, Morris, Heckscher & Roberts, the firm has 24 offices in the United States, London, Singapore and Vietnam. In addition to legal services, Duane Morris has independent affiliates employing...
, and Cigna which leased 55000 square feet (5,109.7 m²) until it consolidated space in Two Liberty Place in 2006.
Two Liberty Place
Cigna leased the entirety of Two Liberty Place from its opening to 1999 when it sold its property and casualty unit to ACE Limited By 2007 Ace Ltd. had left for 436 Walnut St. and Cigna had shrunk its presence in the tower to 400000 square feet (37,161.2 m²). What wasn't converted into condominium space in 2007 was the first office space in Two Liberty open for leasing in the skyscraper's history.Law firm Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott moved into 50000 square feet (4,645.2 m²) in January 2007 and BremnerDuke Healthcare moved into the tower in 2008. Unisys Corp. originally intended to make Two Liberty Place its headquarters but never moved in. The nearly 90000 square feet (8,361.3 m²) of space Unisys leases is being subleased to others. Tenants subleasing from Unisys include real estate brokerage firm Studley, Inc.
Studley, Inc.
Julien J. Studley, Inc. is a commercial real estate brokerage company headquartered in New York City, which specializes in tenant representation. The company was founded in 1954, and the CEO is Mitchell Steir....
which previously had leased space in One Liberty Place. Studley Inc. occupies 6842 square feet (635.6 m²) on the 34th floor and moved into the skyscraper in 2010. Law firm Duffy and Keenan leased space in 2008, Grosvenor Capital Management
Grosvenor Capital Management
Grosvenor Capital Management is one of the largest hedge fund sponsors globally. With estimated assets under management of $22.6 billion as of December 31, 2009, Grosvenor ranked as the third largest firm, but the largest independent firm...
leased 16275 square feet (1,512 m²) also in 2008, law firm Kutak Rock
Kutak Rock
Kutak Rock LLP is a large law firm and lobbying group based in Omaha, Nebraska. In 2007, the firm was ranked by the National Law Journal as the largest law firm in the state of Nebraska, and the 119th largest in the United States by number of attorneys. The firm also ranked 150th in profit per...
leased space on the 28th floor in July 2009, and in 2009 law firm Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney
Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney
Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney P.C. is a large U.S. law firm and lobbying group based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The firm has more than 450 lawyers in sixteen offices nationwide, and was ranked 108th on the National Law Journal's 2010 list of the 250 largest law firms in the United...
moved into Two Liberty Place, occupying 77018 square feet (7,155.2 m²) of the 31st, 32nd, and 33rd floors of the tower. Other tenants include law firm Elliott Greenleaf and Republic First Bancorp.
Notable residents of The Residences at Two Liberty include Tom Knox
Tom Knox
Tom Knox is an American businessman and politician. He was second in the Democratic nomination for Mayor of Philadelphia on May 15, 2007. He is notable for his pledge to spend up to fifteen million dollars of his own money in the race. After considering a run in 2008 for state treasurer, Knox...
who paid US$7.68 million for a condominium. Another notable resident is Chase Lenfest, son of media entrepreneur H. F. Lenfest
H. F. Lenfest
-Early Life and Career:He was born in Jacksonville, Florida, then later grew up in Scarsdale, New York and Hunterdon County, New Jersey. After attending Flemington High School, and graduating from Mercersburg Academy, Lenfest went on to receive his BA from Washington and Lee University in 1953 and...
who paid US$7.68 million for a penthouse. Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
lead guitarist Richie Sambora
Richie Sambora
Richard Stephen "Richie" Sambora is an American rock guitarist, producer, musician, singer, and songwriter who is the longtime lead guitarist of the rock band, Bon Jovi. He and frontman Jon Bon Jovi form the primary songwriting unit of the band...
spent US$3.58 million for a luxury condominium of the 52nd floor. Other residents include Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels
Cole Hamels
Colbert Michael "Cole" Hamels is a left-handed starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. Hamels throws a four-seam fastball, a circle changeup, a curveball, and a cut fastball, which he added in 2010...
, Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
player Andre Iguodala
Andre Iguodala
Andre Tyler Iguodala is an American professional basketball player who plays small forward for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association . Iguodala is listed at 6 ft 6 in and 207 lbs. . Iguodala played his high school basketball for Lanphier High School in Springfield, Illinois...
, and executives from Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
, GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline plc is a global pharmaceutical, biologics, vaccines and consumer healthcare company headquartered in London, United Kingdom...
, and Cigna.