Comcast Corporation announced last week its plan to build a second skyscraper in Philadelphia, adjacent to its current global headquarters, the 58-story, 973-foot Comcast Center.
The new building, designed by Norman Foster's Foster + Partners, will surpass the Comcast HQ by nearly 148 feet and will stand as the nation's tallest building outside of New York and Chicago, as well as one of the world's 40 tallest skyscrapers.
The joint development with Liberty Property Trust will house a 200-room Four Seasons hotel, a media center for local broadcast television stations, and office space.
Here is the Comcast press release on the project:
Comcast Corporation and Liberty Property Trust announced that they will jointly develop the Comcast Innovation and Technology Center on the 1800 block of Arch Street in Center City Philadelphia.
The proposed $1.2 billion 59-story, 1,121-foot tower will neighbor Comcast Center, Comcast Corporation’s global headquarters, and become a dedicated home for the company’s growing workforce of technologists, engineers, and software architects.
The facility will also create a media center in the heart of the City by becoming home to the operations of local broadcast television stations NBC 10/WCAU and Telemundo 62/WWSI and offer space for local technology startups.
Designed by world-renowned architect Lord Norman Foster of Foster + Partners, the glass and stainless steel tower will complement Comcast Center as a new energetic dimension to Center City.
The 1.517 million rentable square foot project will include a new Four Seasons hotel and a soaring, block-long lobby with a glass-enclosed indoor plaza accompaniment to Comcast Center’s existing, dynamic outdoor plaza. The lobby will feature a restaurant and a new concourse will provide direct connections with SEPTA’s Suburban Station, enhancing accessibility and providing new options for commuters.
The $1.2 billion mixed-use tower is expected to be the tallest building in the United States outside of New York and Chicago and will be the largest private development project in the history of Pennsylvania.
"This is yet another historic moment for Comcast," said Brian L. Roberts, Chairman and CEO, Comcast Corporation. "We continue to be proud to call Philadelphia our home, and are thrilled to build a world-class media, technology and innovation center right in the heart of the City, to bring NBC 10 and Telemundo 62 downtown, and to create thousands of jobs and further drive economic activity in the region. We have assembled an incredible design and development team to expand our vertical campus, and I am more excited than ever about the future of Comcast in Philadelphia."
Liberty Property Trust Chairman and CEO William P. Hankowsky said, "Liberty is thrilled to again have the opportunity to develop a transformative project for the city of Philadelphia, a project that will significantly contribute to the continuing renaissance of Center City as a forward-looking yet uniquely livable urban environment."
Lord Norman Foster commented, "This is a very special project. It is an opportunity to create a unique and sustainable model for mixed-use, high density development, which uniquely combines spaces for high tech research and development with restaurants, gardens, fitness facilities and a significant public reception space – a window on Philadelphia. At ground level this ‘urban room’ embraces the city; it opens the building to the public and anchors it as a vital new neighborhood. It also links directly into the below ground public transport system. Above this, the highly flexible loft-like spaces and studios are designed for a dynamic way of working – an engine for the city’s evolution as the kind of leading technology hub presently associated with Silicon Valley. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Comcast and Liberty Property Trust to further develop an outstanding location and a new landmark on the Philadelphia skyline."
In addition to office space, the Comcast Innovation and Technology Center will house a Four Seasons hotel, featuring more than 200 rooms. The luxury hotel will include world-class spa, fitness, event and meeting facilities as well as an exciting new restaurant located on the top floor of the building, offering spectacular 360 degree city views.
"Four Seasons has called Philadelphia home for more than 30 years," said Scott Woroch, Executive Vice President Worldwide Development, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. "During this time we have set the standard for luxury hospitality in the city and become an integral part of the community. Today, Philadelphia is experiencing renewed growth and popularity. We are proud to be a part of one of the largest, most exciting new developments in the region and reaffirm our long-standing commitment to this great city."
Four Seasons will continue to manage its existing hotel at 1 Logan Square and assist the owner with the transition to a new brand prior to the expected opening of the new hotel in 2017.
Read the full release at: http://corporate.comcast.com/news-information/news-feed/comcast-innovation-technology-center-press-release
Related Stories
Giants 400 | Aug 13, 2019
2019 Science + Technology Giants Report: Operational flexibility is a must for S+T buildings
The science and technology (S+T) sector is arguably the industry’s most complex because it caters to a diverse clientele with specific priorities and imperatives, according to Building Design+Construction's 2019 Giants 300 Report.
Architects | Aug 12, 2019
AIA, NCARB help launch coalition to represent complex professions and licensing boards
Architects, registration boards, and others join effort to ensure a unified voice for professions in growing debate around licensure, regulation, and public safety.
AEC Innovators | Aug 9, 2019
Improving architectural designs through iteration
Computational design lets ZGF Architects see patterns that renderings and even models can’t show.
Giants 400 | Aug 8, 2019
Top 200 Office Sector Architecture Firms for 2019
Gensler, AECOM, Perkins+Will, Stantec, and HOK top the rankings of the nation's largest office sector architecture and architecture engineering (AE) firms, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2019 Giants 300 Report.
Giants 400 | Aug 8, 2019
2019 Office Giants Report: Demand for exceptional workplaces will keep the office construction market strong
Office space consolidation and workplace upgrades will keep project teams busy, according to BD+C's 2019 Giants 300 Report.
Museums | Jul 29, 2019
A new museum debuts inside the Empire State Building
A $165 million, 10,000-sf museum opened on the second floor of the Empire State Building in New York City, completing the second of a four-phase “reimagining” of that building’s observatory experience, which draws four million visitors annually.
Multifamily Housing | Jul 23, 2019
Is prefab in your future?
The most important benefit of offsite construction, when done right, is reliability.
Healthcare Facilities | Jul 15, 2019
Can a kids’ healthcare space teach, entertain, and heal?
Standard building requirements don’t have to be boring. Here’s how you can inject whimsical touches into everyday design features.
Architects | Jul 10, 2019
9 picks from NeoCon 2019
Interior architect Mary Bartlett selects her favorite products and systems from the 2019 NeoCon show, Chicago, June 10-12, 2019.
BD+C University Course | Jul 8, 2019
Shadow box design: To vent or not to vent [AIA course]
A curtain wall shadow box is a spandrel assembly consisting of vision glass at the building exterior and an opaque infill at the interior side of the curtain wall system. This course is worth 1.0 AIA LU/HSW.
