Architecture of Philadelphia
The first European settlements appeared within the present day borders of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the 17th century with most structures being built from logs.
In the first half of the 19th century, Greek revival appeared and flourished with architects such as William Strickland, John Haviland, and Thomas U. Walter.
The row house was introduced to the United States via Philadelphia in the 17th century, the United States' first International style skyscraper was built in Philadelphia, and one of the most important examples of Postmodern architecture, Robert Venturi's Guild House, is located in the city.
In the 1920s construction continued with skyscrapers such as the Aldine Trust Building, the Lewis Tower, the Drake Hotel, the Ben Franklin House and the Rittenhouse Plaza.
[1] PSFS Building, which was designed by George Howe and William Lescaze, was topped with the Philadelphia Savings Fund Society's initials in 27 ft red neon letters and is decorated with custom made interior detailing.
In the case of Liberty Place, Jahn was influenced by the art deco Chrysler Building in New York City.
[4] For a detailed description of Philadelphia's building height "wars," see Thom Nickels' 'Philadelphia Architecture,' published in 2005.
Buildings soon became more elaborate and in 1724 the Carpenters' Company of the City and County of Philadelphia was formed to help instruct builders.
The first building designed by William Thornton, the Palladian Library Hall was inspired by the work of Robert Adam, popular in England at the time, with two-story pilasters and an ornamental balustrade.
The similar Federal style also became fashionable, with one of the city's best examples being David Evans Jr.'s Central Pavilion of the Pennsylvania Hospital, completed in 1805.
[9] The Greek Revival style began in the United States with Benjamin Henry Latrobe's Bank of Pennsylvania in 1801.
It was constructed of white marble with Greek Ionic temple porticos on two sides, and topped with a low dome.
Robert Mills designed Octagon Unitarian Church in 1813, and a 6,000 seat auditorium called Washington Hall in 1816.
In 1829 Haviland's Eastern State Penitentiary was completed, and its innovative spoked-wheel design served as the model for hundreds of other prisons.
Built from red sandstone, granite, and iron, the buildings varied in designs including Greek Revival, Gothic, and Italianate.
[12] The 1869 original Philadelphia Savings Fund Society (PFSF) building, designed by Addison Hutton with an addition by Frank Furness in 1895 has been preserved as part of The St. James, a luxury high-rise apartment on Washington Square.
Horticultural Hall (demolished 1955) was a Moorish-style glass-and-iron structure built as a tribute to London's Crystal Palace.
[14][15] The Beaux-Arts-style Memorial Hall (now home to the Please Touch Museum) was constructed of brick, glass, iron and granite.
Furness brought a bold muscularity to his works, shunned historical imitation, and was an innovator in the use of iron and glass.
[17] Designed by John McArthur Jr. in the Second Empire style, and influenced by the Tuileries Palace and the Louvre, Philadelphia City Hall is one of the world's largest all-masonry, load-bearing structures without a steel frame.
In the 1940s, a sports promoter bought the venue, covering the orchestra pit with flooring so basketball, wrestling, and boxing could take place.
In partnership with the North Philadelphia Community Development Corporation, the church plans to continue with further historic restoration in the future.
The way the apartments were laid out, with gardens, lawns, play areas, underground garages, and space for public art were new architectural designs at the time.
In Chestnut Hill, architects like George Howe and Wilson Eyre set the tone for residences in the region.
Howe's High Hollow and Eyre's Anglecot demonstrate the European and Beaux Arts influence on Chestnut Hill's architecture in the early part of the 20th century.
[27][28] The Guild House, one of Robert Venturi's earliest works, built in 1964, is considered one of the most important examples of post-modernism.
