Located along Philadelphia’s Avenue of the Arts, the 47-story condominium tower will serve as an iconic landmark for the Arts District and redefine luxurious, high-rise living in Philadelphia.
Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF) celebrated the groundbreaking of Arthaus yesterday, the firm’s first residential tower in Philadelphia, with developer Dranoff Properties. KPF Founder and Chairman Eugene Kohn attended the celebratory event with the KPF team – including Managing Principal Lloyd Sigal – marking the occasion along with the Honorable Ed Rendell, former Governor of Pennsylvania, Mayor Jim Kenney, Councilman Mark Squilla, as well as other constituents, supporters and neighbors dedicated to the success of the Avenue of the Arts. A 47-story condominium tower, Arthaus is situated at Broad and Spruce streets along the famed Avenue of the Arts and directly across the street from the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. To create a rich, holistic experience, KPF designed every aspect of the building from top to bottom, inside and out, including the interiors for all the residences and amenities.
“The location for Arthaus was an inviting canvas; we wanted to create an expression of luxury living in the center of a vibrant, one-of-a-kind city – a beacon that signals the center of arts and music in Philadelphia,” said Eugene Kohn, KPF Chairman and Philadelphia native. “It was an honor to contribute a magnificent work of art for my hometown of Philadelphia. Every condominium itself is a piece of art that has its own unique story and offers a design aesthetic that is truly authentic to the Avenue of the Arts.”
“We were thrilled at the opportunity to design our first residential project in Philadelphia,” said Josh Chaiken, KPF Design Principal (and also a Philadelphia native). “The design of Arthaus builds upon the character of the Avenue of the Arts on South Broad Street. It rises in an elegant vertical form that will mark this district on the city’s skyline.”
With a design inspired by its context, the massing of the Arthaus tower is modulated into four rectangular volumes. Each of these bundled rectangles rises to a different height, creating a distinctive tower top. The stepped, interlocking boxes also provide large outdoor terraces. The tower wall of Arthaus features a vertical expression balanced by horizontal terraces at each corner, which offer sweeping views of Philadelphia from the Delaware River to the Schuylkill River. At the base of Arthaus, brick and terra cotta feature walls along Broad and Spruce Streets relate to the material language of the neighborhood, while the tower’s high-performing glass façade is detailed with white aluminum mullions that add texture and variety.
“It is a pleasure to work with our longtime friend Carl Dranoff on this exciting and prominent project,” said Lloyd Sigal, KPF Managing Principal. “After working closely with Carl on this design for several years, we are exceedingly proud of the result and look forward to seeing Arthaus become the beacon of the Avenue of the Arts.”
Arthaus is comprised of 108 light-filled units and more than 36,000 square feet of world-class amenities, including a unique rooftop greenhouse and more than 4,200 square feet of ground floor retail space. The building’s outdoor spaces will feature a year-round rooftop greenhouse, individual planting beds, a reflecting pool, lawn, and sun deck. Additional amenities include a 75-foot indoor lap pool and state-of-the-art fitness center overlooking the Kimmel Center, a tranquil library, board room, club room, dining salon, café with demonstration kitchen and kids’ playroom.
“Arthaus is a no-compromise, single-purpose tower that punctuates the Philadelphia skyline with luxurious living and unmatched amenities,” said Carl Dranoff, Chief Executive Officer, Dranoff Properties. “We are bringing Philadelphia something it has never seen before – a greenhouse with extraordinary outdoor amenities – we’re giving our residents their own park in the sky.”
Arthaus is slated for occupancy in the fall of 2021.