A result of new legislation and Philadelphia’s renewed entrepreneurial spirit, Mellon Bank Center soars above its neighbors as part of the city’s enthusiastic embrace of tall towers.
Mellon Bank Center was commissioned at a unique time in Philadelphia’s history when the height limitation, previously established by the 1901 City Hall Tower, was eliminated. The design of Mellon Bank Center results from this new legislation and symbolizes the city’s new entrepreneurial spirit. As one of the first architects to contribute to the new generation of tall buildings in Philadelphia, KPF’s design celebrates the rebirth of the competitive spirit that once distinguished Philadelphia as the center of government and commerce. Located between Rittenhouse and Logan Squares, the site occupies a unique place at the heart of Penn Center directly facing the City Hall Tower.
The 52-story Mellon Bank takes the shape of an obelisk, a form traditionally used to commemorate historical events. Its symmetrical character affords omni-directional views above the old building height datum. A five-story stone podium base relates to the pedestrian scale at street level and defines the building where it is flanked by two major boulevards, Market Street and JFK Boulevard. The tapered metal and glass tower is set back from both streets, above which the juncture between podium and tower is articulated as a marble and granite socket that locks the two forms together. A sweeping cornice terminates the tower, capped by a pyramid metal enclosure that conceals cooling towers. The central vertical columns and horizontal strappings at the corners of the tower’s facade articulate the building’s structural framework.
The absence of green space in the Penn Center area is relieved by a through-block public garden and atrium. Accessible from both streets, the atrium also provides access to the extensive retail concourse below grade.
