Iconic Whaling Wall mural nearing its final days on the Schuylkill

The iconic Whaling Wall mural that has adorned the facade of 2400 Market Street is slowly but surely being demolished to make way for Aramark’s new headquarters. And by the looks of it, the mural is nearing its final days.

One local photographer told Curbed Philly that he snapped the Instagram shot (below) during his lunch break on Thursday, revealing the partially removed mural that’s nearing the halfway mark.

The Whaling Wall mural was painted onto the western facade of 2400 Market in 1993 by artist Wyland. Called “East Coast Humpbacks,” it’s one of the last remaining 100 Whaling Wall murals that he painted between 1981 and 2008 across the world.

When Wyland heard of the renovations planned for Marketplace Design Center in 2015, he told Philly Mag that he hoped it would be saved from demolition. But as new plans emerged in 2016 that Aramark would be setting up shop at 2400 Market, design proposals revealed that the whales were nowhere in sight.

Aramark plans to move into its new space in the fall of 2018.

• Artist Wyland Hopes to Save Whaling Wall Mural From Demolition [Philly Mag]
• Aramark reveals renderings of new headquarters at 2400 Market [Curbed Philly]