Here's The New Glass Building Coming to 15th & Walnut

The intersection of 15th & Walnut is about to undergo a drastic facelift. In an area rich with masonry, the southeast corner will soon be home to a new three-story glass building with a Cheesecake Factory as the anchor tenant on the second floor. Glass buildings have grown in popularity of late, but there will be some major differences between this new building and, say, the famous Apple store in midtown Manhattan.

Here are a few highlights from today's article from Philadelphia Inquirer Architecture Critic Inga Saffron (who is giving the project her high praises):

• The glass building will be anchored by 20th century masonry heavyweights
• Steel beams will be visible through the glass exterior
• Ground floor is ideal for 1-2 retail/commercial spaces
• Third floor can be subdivided

It's interesting to note that the project's website still lists the building as a five-story structure with one lower level, but it appears to merely be a case of an outdated website. The new renderings in Saffron's article reflect the current proposal, and it's an interesting change of pace for that location, which will be a good thing considering taggers have already marked the existing building.

· Changing Skyline: New Cheesecake Factory at 15th and Walnut: A Creamy-Rich Glass Box [Philly.com]
· 15andwalnut [Official]
· Corner Building Dunzo: To Be Replaced By Cheesecake Factory [Curbed Philly]