Designs for 3675 Market Street, a 14-story tower designed by New York-based ZGF Architects, were lauded yesterday at the Civic Design Review meeting. Renderings of the first major project of the redevelopment plans for the University City High School "superblock" revealed a glassy facade, reminiscent of other towers that have staked their claim in the neighborhood, from the EVO building at 2930 Chestnut and the forthcoming FMC Tower.
The base of the building will be made of jet mist stone, which architect David Hess said is also used on other structures in Philly, including the National Museum of American Jewish History.
In a recent column, Philadelphia Inquirer's architecture critic Inga Saffron wrote, "The kickoff building [..] is a boxy glass box, saved from pure banality only by a pop-out bay that grabs the facade like a clamp."
Still, the Civic Design Review committee applauded the designs for their attractiveness and high quality, and voted to conclude the CDR process. All 321,801 square feet of 3675 Market will serve as a retail, business, office, research, and development space.
Not included in the application, however, were plans for the public space that is being designed by Philly landscape architecture firm Olin. Hess said those designs will be part of a separate process.
· 3675 Market Street [CDR]
· University City reinvents itself - again - with apartments, offices and shops [PI]